The National Enquirer’s cover declaring “AIDS Killed Prince!” is “deeply offensive” to people living with HIV/AIDS because it reinforces a stigma they’ve spent decades fighting, a prominent activist told TheWrap.

The tabloid claimed this week that Prince died after refusing to take AIDS medications. But Peter Staley, a leading AIDS activist who was featured in the 2012 Oscar-nominated documentary “How to Survive a Plague,” says the Enquirer is shamelessly sensationalizing the disease for a quick buck.

“They’re turning AIDS into Godzilla,” Staley told TheWrap. “These headlines are deeply offensive to the over 1 million Americans who are living with HIV. They reinforce the stigma that just beneath the surface, coursing through our blood, is a monster.”

Also Read: Can Prince's Estate Sue the National Enquirer for Saying He Had AIDS?

The Enquirer’s article, ladened with more exclamation marks than a love-crushed teenager’s diary, says Prince — a Jehovah’s Witness — shrugged off doctors who advised treatment for the “killer virus.”

The Enquirer did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

“We can expect a wide range of coverage, from the responsible to the highly sensationalized,” Staley said. “And certainly the National Enquirer is on the stigmatizing end of that curve.”

This isn’t the first time the supermarket rag has been criticized for its AIDS-related coverage

Also Read: Police Reveal 46 Calls to Prince's Paisley Park in Last Five Years

In November, actor Charlie Sheen was forced to disclose publicly that he was HIV positive after he found out the tabloid was about to reveal his status. The article, “Charlie Sheen AIDS Cover-Up,” ignited backlash from several media outlets, including The Daily Beast, which slammed the tabloid for “stalking” Sheen and taking “us back to the ignorant 1980s.”

While the virus can kill if left untreated, activists point out that an AIDS diagnosis is no longer the death sentence it once was. Most HIV positive people today go on to lead long, healthy lives. In fact studies have shown that people who adhere to treatment have a full life expectancy.

“They make it sound like Ebola,” said Staley. “But while it’s hard to save someone with Ebola, that’s not the case with HIV. The Enquirer is presenting the disease as a horrific plague, which it no longer is.”

Beyond Prince: '80s Pop Stars Then and Now (Photos)

Annie Lennox, 61
Lennox out in the early '80s as one half of the new wave duo Eurythmics. She won an Oscar, bizarrely, for the song that played over the end credits of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
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Billy Idol, 60
The bleach blonde-haired rocker dominated the charts in the late '70s as part of the punk band Generation X before dominating the charts as a solo artist in the '80s.
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Billy Ocean, 66
The British R&B superstar of the '80s. After a bit of a delay, Ocean crossed over with American audiences as well, winning a Grammy in 1985.
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Bono, 55
He's the U2 guy. Had a mullet (pictured) then was a regular hot dude for a while (not pictured) before donning his signature sunglasses (pictured) and never taking them off again.
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Boy George, 54
The androgynous frontman of Culture Club, which caused "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" to be stuck in our heads since we first heard it, is still cool despite that hat.
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Cyndi Lauper
A legit megastar from the word go, Lauper had four top 5 hits on her first album. And she's won a Grammy, Emmy and Tony. And she looks exactly the same now as she did 30 years ago.
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David Lee Roth, 61
Lead Singer of Van Halen, Roth's impact on the musical landscape is still felt today -- even though, like many sexy '80s hair metal types, he grew up to be such a dad.
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El DeBarge, 54
He led the family band DeBarge before going solo and making a hit out of a song about the robot Johnny No. 5 from the movie "Short Circuit." That deal with the devil is why he hasn't aged since.
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Janet Jackson, 49
Jackson managed to carve out her own pop stardom separate from her King of Pop brother, becoming one of the bestselling artists in history. She also showed her boob during the Super Bowl in 2004, rocking everyone's world.
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Lionel Richie, 66
Richie was part of the Motown group The Commodores in the '70s before becoming a solo juggernaut in the '80s.
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Madonna, 57
The best-selling female musical artist ever. Golden Globe-winning actress. Breathless Mahoney. Did those cool sex songs.
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Morrissey, 56
Best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist for the '80s Manchester band The Smiths, Morrissey remains a favorite of older millennial hipsters
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Phil Collins, 65
Drummer and singer for the band Genesis before going solo in '83, Collins the most top 40 singles of any artist in the '80s. Despite the immense success, his music remains divisive. That song he did for Disney's "Tarzan" movie probably didn't help.
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Sade Adu, 57
Leader of the band Sade, which was one of those rare English acts to be immediately popular on both sides of the Atlantic from the start -- its first four albums were certified platinum.
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Simon Le Bon, 57
Le Bon led the as-80s-as-80s-gets band Duran Duran, which was extremely popular until the decade changed. The group's immense ironic appeal after the '80s ended eventually morphed back into real appeal in recent years.
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