Social protection is relevant to HIV because it addresses social and economic inequalities, HIV risk behaviour and HIV-related stigma and discrimination, which exacerbate margin¬alization and vulnerability to HIV infection. HIV-sensitive social protection is the preferred approach, as this avoids stigmatization that exclusively focusing on HIV may bring about. HIV-sensitive social protection means not exclusively targeting people living with or affected by HIV. Through an HIV-sensitive approach, people living with HIV and other key populations are served together so as not to exclude equally underserved groups.
