HIV sometimes receives very good coverage in the media. At other times the media uses clichés or misrepresents the real experience of life with HIV, or its coverage of HIV is just plain bad, full of inaccuracies and prejudice.

This has been evident in recent reporting of criminal cases involving the 'reckless transmission' of HIV. Many people with HIV have been angered and upset to find HIV described as a ‘death sentence’ and to see people with HIV being described as ‘monsters’ ‘evil’ or ‘victims.’

One way of coping with prejudice in the media is to ignore it. If you know that an article in a newspaper or a programme on the TV or radio is going to distress or annoy you, then don’t read, watch or listen to it.

Try and develop a strategy for dealing with inaccurate or stigmatising media items. For example, tell yourself how poor it is that a journalist is so bad at their job that they can’t get basic facts right. Or try reminding yourself that the stigma or prejudice that an item might be appealing to is simply wrong.

You might want to write a letter of complaint, pointing out the item’s faults and inaccuracies.

News-based websites usually have a response page which you can fill in to point out errors and inaccuracies. Any reputable TV or radio station will have a department to respond to viewers’ and listeners’ comments and complaints, and newspapers and magazines have letters pages.

Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) and the National AIDS Trust (NAT) both have specialist press departments that actively challenge bad coverage of HIV. So if you don’t feel confident complaining to the media yourself try contacting THT’s press office on 020 7812 1600 or NAT’s on 020 7812 6767.

It's good to know that both THT and NAT have made successful complaints to the Press Complaints Commission (0845 600 2757) about the way HIV is reported.

NAT also has a team of people with HIV called the ‘Press Gang.’ They are interested in engaging with the media to try and make sure that HIV is accurately reported and that inaccuracies are challenged. For more information, contact NAT on the number listed above.

Should you become the focus of media attention, think very carefully before speaking to a journalist and consider asking an HIV agency with experience of media work for support.