scholarly journals Increased Work Experience Associated with Less Stigmatizing Attitudes towards People Living with HIV among Thai Healthcare Personnel

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9830
Author(s):  
Kriengkrai Srithanaviboonchai ◽  
Porntip Khemngern ◽  
Jarun Chuayen ◽  
Taweesap Siraprapasiri
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Staff Support ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Stigmatizing Attitudes

HIV-related stigma in health facilities has been suggested as a primary target for HIV-related stigma reduction. The objective of this study was to describe negative attitudes among Thai healthcare personnel (HCP) toward PLHIV. This nationwide probability sampled survey was conducted in 2019 in 12 provinces in Thailand and Bangkok, the capital. Participants were considered to have stigmatizing attitudes toward PLHIV if they had a stigmatizing view in response to at least one of the four questions. Eighty-two percent of the 3056 respondents had at least one stigmatizing attitude. Younger HCP, ages < 30 (AOR = 1.60; 95%CI: 1.18–2.18) and 30–39 (AOR = 1.60; 95%CI: 1.21–2.12) were more likely to have stigmatizing attitudes towards PLHIV compared to those aged 50 and older. Being support staff, support-clinical (AOR = 1.89; 95%CI: 1.44–2.49) and support-nonclinical (AOR = 1.71; 95%CI: 1.24–2.36) as opposed to professional staff also increased the likelihood of having stigmatizing attitudes. Stigma was also more likely to be present in HCPs who did not work at HIV-focused clinics (AOR = 1.97; 95%CI: 1.57–2.48). HCP who had more work experience, especially related to PLHIV care, were less likely to have stigmatizing attitudes. These personnel could be good peer educators or role models for a stigma reduction campaign within their healthcare facilities.

scholarly journals HIV-Related Stigma Among Healthcare Providers in Different Healthcare Settings: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kerman, Iran

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Tavakoli ◽  
Mohammad Karamouzian ◽  
Ali Ahmad Rafiei-Rad ◽  
Abedin Iranpour ◽  
Mehrdad Farrokhnia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Teaching Hospitals ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Stigmatizing Attitudes

Background: Stigmatizing attitudes among healthcare providers are an important barrier to accessing services among people living with HIV (PLHIV). This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the status and correlates of HIV-related stigma among healthcare providers in Kerman, Iran. Methods: Using a validated and pilot-tested stigma scale questionnaire, we measured HIV-related stigma among 400 healthcare providers recruited from three teaching hospitals (n=363), private sectors (n=28), and the only voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) center (n=9) in Kerman city. Data were gathered using self-administered questionnaires at participants’ workplace during Fall 2016. To examine the correlates of stigmatizing attitudes, we constructed bivariable and multivariable linear regression models. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of stigma score was 25.95 ± 7.20 out of the possible 50, with higher scores reflecting more stigmatizing attitudes. Paramedics, nurses’ aides, and housekeeping staff had the highest, and VCT personnel had the lowest average stigma scores, respectively. Multivariable regression analyses showed that prior experience of working with PLHIV (β=-2.48; P=.03), exposure to HIV-related educational courses (β=-2.03; P=.02), and <10 years of work experience (β=-2.70; P<.001) were associated with lower stigma scores. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need for health managers to provide training opportunities for healthcare providers, including programs that focus on improving HIV-related knowledge for healthcare providers. Enforcing policies that aim to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination among healthcare providers in Iran are urgently needed.

scholarly journals HIV Community-Level Stigmatizing Attitudes in Tanzania: Perspectives from Antenatal Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-127
Author(s):  
Saumya Sao ◽  
Brandon A Knettel ◽  
Godfrey A Kisigo ◽  
Elizabeth T Knippler ◽  
Haika Osaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Hiv Stigma ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Stigmatizing Attitudes ◽  
Living With Hiv

Introduction: Stigma significantly impacts retention in HIV care and quality of life among people living with HIV. This study explored community-level HIV stigma from the perspective of patients and healthcare workers in antenatal care (ANC) in Moshi, Tanzania. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 32 women (20 living with HIV), key-informant interviews with 7 ANC clinic employees, and two focus group discussions with 13 community health workers. Results: Themes emerged related to drivers and manifestations of stigma, resilience to stigmatizing attitudes, and opportunities to address stigma in ANC. Drivers of stigma included a fear of infection through social contact and associations of HIV with physical weakness (e.g., death, sickness) and immoral behaviour (e.g., sexual promiscuity). Manifestations included gossip, physical and social isolation, and changes in intimate relationships. At the same time, participants identified people who were resilient to stigmatizing attitudes, most notably individuals who worked in healthcare, family members with relevant life experiences, and some supportive male partners. Conclusion/Recommendations: Supportive family members, partners, and healthcare workers can serve as role models for stigma-resilient behaviour through communication platforms and peer programs in ANC. Manifestations of HIV stigma show clear links to constructs of sexuality, gender, and masculinity, which may be particularly impactful during pregnancy care. The persistence of stigma emphasizes the need for innovation in addressing stigmatizing attitudes in the community. Campaigns and policies should go beyond dispelling myths about HIV transmission and immorality to innovate peer-led and couples-based stigma reduction programming in the ANC space

scholarly journals HIV-Related Knowledge and Stigma Among the General Population in the Southeast of Iran

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahlagha Dehghan ◽  
Mostafa Shokoohi ◽  
Sima Mokhtarabadi ◽  
Fatemeh Tavakoli ◽  
Abedin Iranpour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Stigmatizing Attitudes

Background: HIV-related stigma is a barrier to effective HIV responses among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Objectives: The current study aimed at measuring HIV-related stigma, and its associated factors among the general population in the Southeast of Iran. Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 900 individuals in Kerman, Southeast of Iran, from July to September 2016. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire, including (I) demographic and background characteristics; (II) HIV-related stigma; and (III) HIV-related knowledge. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 20 using descriptive statistics, as well as bivariable and multivariable linear regressions. Results: Low, moderate, and high levels of stigmatizing attitudes toward PLHIV were reported by 39.1%, 57.8%, and 3.1% of the participants, respectively. Female sex(beta = 0.33, P value = 0.01) and those not having a history of HIV testing (beta = 0.45, P value < 0.001) had, on average, higher levels of stigmatizing attitudes, while those with a higher level of education (beta = -0.97, P value < 0.001) had, on average, lower levels of stigmatizing attitudes. Conclusions: Gender-sensitive educational interventions need to be developed to reduce the negative attitude towards PLHIV in Iran.

scholarly journals Stigmatization among People Living with HIV/AIDS at the Kumba Health District, Cameroon

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 232595821989930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Obinchemti Egbe ◽  
Cynthia Adanze Nge ◽  
Hermann Ngouekam ◽  
Etienne Asonganyi ◽  
Dickson Shey Nsagha
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Health District ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Aids

We determined the level, type of stigma, and risk factors associated with stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) by conducting a cross-sectional study from April to June 2018 in 3 HIV treatment centers in the Kumba Health District (KHD), Cameroon. We reviewed hospital registers, conducted focus group discussions, and administered structured questionnaires. For data analysis, we used the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. We recorded a total stigma index score of 59.1. Internal stigma (odds ratio [OR] 2.91; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.74-4.98) was common in PLWHA. Also, younger age <30 years (adjusted OR [AOR]: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.17-0.94) was linked with stigma reduction while low level of education (AOR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.02-2.97) increased the stigma level. HIV-related stigma is pervasive in the lives of PLWHA, with most of them having internal stigmatization. Appropriate health education on HIV will be crucial in reducing stigmatization in the KHD.

scholarly journals A Comparison of COVID-19 Stigma and AIDS Stigma During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manyun Li ◽  
Jiang Long ◽  
Xuyi Wang ◽  
Yanhui Liao ◽  
Yueheng Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Perceived Stigma ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Aids Stigma ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Stigmatizing Attitudes ◽  
Acquired Immunodeficiency ◽  
Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Objective: To understand the current situation of stigmatizing attitudes toward Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China and compare it with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).Methods: Convenient sampling and vignette-based methods were used to recruit participants on WeChat. A demographic form and adopted stigma scale were used to collect participants' demographic information and stigmatizing attitudes toward COVID-19 and AIDS.Results: A total of 13,994 questionnaires were included in this study. A high portion of participants tend to avoid contact with individuals affected with COVID-19 (74.3%) or AIDS (59.0%), as well as their family members (70.4% for COVID-19 and 47.9% for AIDS). About half of the participants agreed that affected persons could not only cause problems to their own family but also have adverse effects on others (59.6% and 55.6% for COVID-19, 56.9 and 47.0% for AIDS). The agreements with statements about perceived stigma were similar but slightly higher than those about personal stigma in both COVID-19 and AIDS. Participants' agreements with all statements regarding personal and perceived stigma attitudes between COVID-19 and AIDS were all statistically significant (p &lt; 0.001). Participants obtained COVID-19-related information mainly from social media (91.3%) and newspaper or television (77.1%) during the epidemic, and 61.0% of them thought information from newspapers or television was the most reliable.Conclusion: Several similarities and differences of people's attitude toward COVID-19 and AIDS were found. Avoidance, blame, and secondary discrimination to diagnosed persons and their surrounding persons were the main representations of COVID-19-related stigma. Stigma of COVID-19 had less moral link but more public panic. Experience from HIV-related stigma reduction and prevention can be applied to reduce COVID-19-related stigma.

scholarly journals A QUESTION MODULE FOR ASSESSING COMMUNITY STIGMA TOWARDS HIV IN RURAL INDIA

2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
CAROL VLASSOFF ◽  
MITCHELL G. WEISS ◽  
SHOBHA RAO
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Married Women ◽  
Rural India ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Knowledge ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Simple Question ◽  
Stigmatizing Attitudes ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
The Impact

SummaryThis paper describes a simple question module to assess community stigma in rural India. Fear of stigma is known to prevent people from seeking HIV testing and to contribute to further disease transmission, yet relatively little attention has been paid to community stigma and ways of measuring it. The module, based on a vignette of a fictional HIV-positive woman, was administered to 494 married women and 186 unmarried male and female adolescents in a village in rural Maharashtra, India. To consider the usefulness of the question module, a series of hypotheses were developed based on the correlations found in other studies between HIV-related stigma and socio-demographic characteristics (age, education, discussion of HIV with others, knowing someone living with HIV, knowledge about its transmission and whether respondents acknowledged stigmatizing attitudes as their own or attributed them to others). Many of the study's hypotheses were confirmed. Among married women, correlates of stigma included older age, lack of discussion of HIV and lack of knowledge about transmission; among adolescents, lower education and lack of discussion of HIV were the most significant correlates. The paper concludes that the question module is a useful tool for investigating the impact of interventions to reduce stigma and augment social support for people living with HIV in rural India.

scholarly journals Reducing Mental Health Stigma in Primary Healthcare Workers in a Rural Chinese County: a Contact-based Family-centric Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
An-Li Wang ◽  
Selinda Qiu ◽  
Tian-Ming Zhang ◽  
Yuer Deng ◽  
Mao-Sheng Ran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Stigmatizing Attitudes

Abstract Background: Mental health-related stigma is a key deterrent to help-seeking in people with mental illness. However, effective stigma reduction interventions are sparse, let alone ones adapted to the cultural context of mental health systems. The aims of the present study were to demonstrate the feasibility and to evaluate the impact of a culturally adapted brief contact-based family-centric training program on reducing mental health-related stigma in primary healthcare workers (PHW) in a Chinese rural county. Methods: The one-day stigma reduction training program was developed based on the Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative. The program included didactic lectures, case studies (two audio-taped testimonies of patient-caregiver dyads) and communication skills training (role-playing). Ten township-level and ten village-level PHW participated in separate one-day training sessions. Mental health knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors, and provider empathy were measured before and after the training. Results: The intervention was favorably rated and considered acceptable among PHW. Compared to measures at baseline, participants’ stigmatizing attitudes reduced, their willingness to engage in relationship with people with mental illness increased, and their empathetic response toward patients improved post-intervention.Conclusions: Social contact-based family-centric training is a promising and feasible method of reducing stigma among rural Chinese PHW.

HIV stigma reduction interventions among health care providers and students in different countries: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Mohammadifirouzeh ◽  
Kyeung Mi Oh ◽  
Susan Tanner
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Hiv Stigma ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Stigmatizing Attitudes

Background: Health care providers’ stigmatizing attitudes are obstacles to patients’ well-being and quality of life. Dealing with HIV-related stigma and understanding the impact of feasible interventions on reducing stigmatizing attitudes among health care providers are considered important strategies to improve the quality of HIV care, patient-provider relationships, and provide supportive and safe care services. Objectives: The aim of this study was to systematically review interventions to reduce HIV-related stigma among health care providers. Methods: This systematic review was performed using Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, and APA PsycInfo, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition to search for quasi-experimental studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) designed to reduce HIV stigma among health care providers. The quality of eligible research studies was independently appraised by two reviewers. Results: A total of 774 studies were screened, 100 articles were assessed for the eligibility, and 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. All interventions effectively reduced HIV-related stigma. Elements of successful interventions including knowledge modules, peer education, patients’ testimonials, Photovoice-informed stigma reduction training, stigma-free space intervention, and popular opinion leaders. Interventions were assessed and compared in terms of contents, delivery modes, HIV stigma measurements, follow-up, and limitations. Conclusions: This systematic review supports the effectiveness of in-person educational interventions at reducing HIV-related stigma among health care providers across countries. Comparisons of delivery modes of interventions indicated that educational interventions delivered by patients’ testimonials and peer education strategies are more promising than lecture-based teaching methods. Further studies are needed to assess long-term effects of interventions on clinical behaviors and practices.

scholarly journals HIV-related stigma in the UK then and now: to what extent are we on track to eliminate stigma? A qualitative investigation

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Hedge ◽  
Karrish Devan ◽  
Jose Catalan ◽  
Anna Cheshire ◽  
Damien Ridge
Keyword(s):  
Antiretroviral Treatment ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Engagement In Hiv Care

Abstract Background The introduction of effective antiretroviral treatment in the late 1990s led to the perception that HIV was a chronic but manageable condition. Nevertheless, stigma remains one of the major hurdles for people living with HIV (PLWH) to accessing healthcare and biomedical preventions. Thus, Fast Track Cities has set a target of zero HIV discrimination by 2030 as part of its strategy to end HIV transmission. Methods Fifty-three participants from the United Kingdom, including PLWH (n = 21, 40%), health and social care workers (n = 24, 45%), and charity workers and activists (n = 13, 25%), were recruited. Semi-structured interviews investigated stigma and discrimination, focusing on both before and after the widespread use of effective antiretroviral treatment in the late 1990s. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. Results Before effective antiretroviral treatment narratives were shaped by two main themes: 1) the media’s role in influencing public opinion and contributing to misunderstandings of HIV transmission; and 2) personal experiences of HIV-related stigma, which for PLWH included incidents of physical violence and aggression, as well as fears of their HIV status being publicised. Contemporary narratives on stigma experiences were organised around four themes: 1) discrimination in healthcare settings; 2) stigma amongst men who have sex with men (MSM); 3) stigma towards African and Afro-Caribbean PLWH; and 4) the limits of change in public HIV-related knowledge and attitudes. Contemporary narratives indicated a reduction in enacted stigma, but continued anticipation of discrimination and self-reported shame, particularly in MSM and African and Afro-Caribbean PLWH. Conclusion The nature of stigma against those with HIV has evolved. The intersection of PLWH and minority groups (e.g. MSM and African and Afro-Caribbean persons) may enhance anticipatory and internalised stigma, with some suggestion that this may contribute to reduced engagement in HIV care and prevention services. Our findings indicate the need for further research in this area, as well as proactive interventions with community groups to enhance knowledge of HIV.

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