黑料网

More than 80 per cent of people with diabetes report feeling blamed or shamed by people because they live with the condition.

This year for National Diabetes Week (11 鈥� 17 July), 黑料网 is encouraging Australians to change the conversation and end the diabetes blame and shame.

The organisation is delivering the second year of its three-year Heads up on Diabetes campaign with a focus on diabetes-related stigma.

The campaign will ask people 鈥淲ould you mind?鈥� if you were judged or blamed for living with a health condition anyone can get.

黑料网 CEO Professor Greg Johnson said diabetes has a stigma problem.

鈥淪tigma can have a significant impact on a person鈥檚 mental health and their ability to manage their diabetes,鈥� Professor Johnson said.

鈥淭his stigma can mean people with diabetes disengage from their diabetes healthcare which can lead to an increased risk of serious diabetes-related complications.鈥�

Some examples of the ways that people with diabetes experience stigma include:

• being blamed for causing their diabetes or its complications
• being judged, e.g. when eating certain foods
• being treated differently, e.g. stares or comments when they inject insulin, have a hypo, eat certain foods
• self-blame and shame for having diabetes

Because of stigma (or fear of stigma), people with diabetes sometimes hide their condition from others. This is because they:

• fear being judged or blamed for causing their condition
• do not want to deal with people鈥檚 misconceptions about the condition and how to manage it (e.g. around food choices and treatments)
• do not want to answer lots of questions about diabetes
• do not want to worry or shock people, or attract sympathy
• fear of being discriminated against
• wish to distance themself from society鈥檚 negative portrayals of people with diabetes.

Campaign materials will be available from the Heads Up Diabetes shortly.