Risk perceptions, stigma, and health policy

Perceptions of risk have been the subject of serious scientific study for over 30 years. Although many experts in risk management and public health believe that the world has become safer during this time, survey results suggest that public fears of technological hazards have increased substantially. One of the clearest signs of this gap is the increasing evidence that certain places, products, and technologies have become stigmatized: shunned by an anxious public not just because of standard perceptions of risk but because a positive condition or expectation has been overturned. In legislatures, courtrooms, and economic markets around the world, stigma represents an increasingly significant factor affecting people's perceptions of their health and influencing the acceptance of scientific and technological innovations. This paper reviews our current understanding of the risk perceptions that lie behind stigma, discusses relevant results from two recent Canadian surveys, and examines recommended management responses.