Disease stigma in U.S. public health law

This essay integrates current thinking about the nature and workings of stigma with current sociolegal research to clarify the relationship between law and stigma in public health. This integrated view has implications for research, policy, and the day-to-day work of providing effective care and prevention services for people with and at risk of stigmatized conditions. It also calls into question, from a moral standpoint, the claim that stigma can be used positively as a tool for changing behavior for the sake of public health.