Social stigma and its determinants among people living with HIV/AIDS: A cross-sectional study at ART center in North India

Abstract

Introduction: HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination together have long been recognized as one of the main obstacles in the prevention, care, and treatment of HIV and AIDS. Yet, little has been done on a large scale to combat them. Stigma still precludes many in need of treatment and care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). The purpose of this study was to assess the social stigma among PLHIV and the factors influencing it. Material and Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among four hundred PLHIV attending the antiretroviral therapy (ART) center of a tertiary care institute of Haryana, India, using a semi-structured questionnaire and Berger Stigma Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0 software to explore the relationship between a dependent (social stigma score) and other independent variables. Results: The overall mean stigma score in our study was found to be 110.96 ± 17.05. The stigma score in the male PLHIV was higher than in females. Male gender, younger age group (18–25 years), nuclear family, and rural residents PLHIV experienced more stigma as showed by the logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Stigma and discrimination are a continuous deterrent for program implementation or successful outcomes. Education, behavior change strategies, and building supportive environments to the targeted population (young, single, and rural residents) can provide a roadmap in ending stigma and discrimination.

Perceived Stigma and Its Association with Gender and Disclosure Status among People Living with HIV/AIDS and Attending Antiretroviral Therapy Clinics in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…is study found that there is no statically signi cant association between perceived stigma and gender among people living with HIV/AIDS and attending ART treatment which was a similar nding to a systematic review carried out in North America [34] and a contradictory result with a primary preliminary study conducted in South Africa [32] in which females were more likely to develop a perceived stigma. is study's finding was also different compared to the study conducted in India in which males had high HIVrelated stigma score than females [35,36]. Due to its seropositive status, gender difference may not have a biological basis for stigma, but instead is strongly correlated with society's values, attitudes, and ideas regarding male or female gender.…”

Evaluation of Depression, Anxiety, and Sleep Quality in Children Diagnosed With COVID-19

“…As observed in COVID-19 outpatient clinics, many school authorities laid down a negative PCR criterion before going back to school. There are studies on stigmatization in literature, especially in HIV-positive individuals and patients diagnosed with tuberculosis ( Bayraktar and Khorshtd, 2017 ; Sahoo et al, 2020 ). In our study, we thought that social stigma could negatively affect the children's mental health diagnosed with COVID-19.…”

A cross-sectional study on stigma and discrimination confronted by HIV positive patients in the economic capital of India

“…In a cross-sectional descriptive hospitalbased study conducted by Sahoo et al [ 16 ] among 400 patients attending ART Centre at a tertiary medical college hospital in Haryana , India, it was found that the overall mean stigma score was 110.96 ± 17.05. The mean score for the personalized stigma subscale was 36.53 ± 6.38 (possible range 18–72).…”