Perpetuated HIV Microaggressions: A Novel Scale to Measure Subtle Discrimination Against People Living With HIV

HIV discrimination has served as a barrier to addressing the HIV epidemic and providing effective HIV treatment and care. Measuring HIV discrimination, particularly covert HIV discrimination, has proven to be complex. Adapted from a previous scale, we developed a perpetuated HIV micro-aggressions scale to assess covert forms of discriminatory beliefs among HIV-negative/unknown HIV status individuals. Factor analysis resulted in three subscales, explaining 73.58% of the scale's variance. The new scale demonstrated both convergent validity (HIV prejudice, HIV stereotypes) and discriminant validity (alcohol use, depressive symptomology). Perpetuated HIV microaggressions were significantly associated with HIV conspiracy beliefs, HIV prejudice, and HIV stereotypes. This new scale can serve as an important tool in evaluating perpetuated HIV microaggressions among HIV-negative individuals.

HIV Discrimination, Stigma, and Gender-Based Violence

Stigma, discrimination, and gender-based violence complicate and perpetuate the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic. Although remarkable strides have transformed AIDS from a rapidly fatal infectious illness to a chronic manageable illness, HIV-based stigma, discrimination, and gender-based violence, together known as AIDSism, still exist and have not been transformed in the same way as the illness itself. These barriers continue to have a negative impact on prevention and testing as well as in engagement, retention, and adherence to care. This chapter explores the role that clinicians can play in recognizing and ameliorating HIV stigma, discrimination, and gender-based violence in order to diminish both suffering and HIV transmission and lead to compassionate and competent approaches to care.