The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of stress management training on stigma and social phobia among HIV-positive women. This quasi-experimental pre- and posttest study was performed on a single group of 55 HIV-positive females Hamadan city, Iran, in 2018. The samples were taken through a convenience sampling method and the data collection tool were Berger HIV Stigma and Connor Social Phobia Scale. The mean scores of the stigma were 119.98 ± 21.15 and 94.78 ± 16.34 and social phobia were 24 ± 17.4 and 11.2 ± 9.68 before and after the intervention, respectively. The results of the paired sample t test indicated a significant difference in the stigma and social phobia mean scores before and after the intervention in HIV-positive women ( P < .05). The results of the study revealed that stigma and social phobia are big challenges for HIV-positive women since these people are always judged by others and are subjected to labeling and rejection.

Objectives: This study was to investigate the effect of stress management training on the stigma and social phobia of HIV‐positive women. Methods: This semi-experimental was conducted on 55 HIV‐positive using census sampling. The participants referred to Shohada Comprehensive Health Center in Hamadan, west of Iran, in 2017. Stress management training was conducted in 5 sessions for a group of 8-10 participants. The data collection tools were Berger HIV Stigma and Connor Social Phobia Scale. The questionnaires were filled before and 2 weeks after the intervention. Results: The mean age of participants was 38.5 and the duration of HIV infection was 6.5 years. 55% of patients were married and 80% were infected by sexual intercourse. The findings showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of stigma and social phobia before and after the intervention (P<0.05). Conclusions: Stress management training has been effective in the decrease of stigma and social phobia among HIV positive women.