Question

Describe the different types of stigma that people living with HIV must face. Share your thoughts about the cultural influences have on perceptions of people living with HIV

Answer 1

People living with HIV and AIDS faces stigma and discrimination like prejudice, negative attitudes and abuse. About 35% of countries with available data, over 50% of people report having discriminatory attitudes towards HIV people. Those most at risk to HIV continue to face stigma and discrimination based on their actual or perceived health status, race, socioeconomic status, age, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity or other grounds.

Some cases human rights violations may occur in health care settings, barring people from accessing health services or enjoying quality health care. Few living with HIV and other key affected populations are shunned by family, peers and the wider community, while others face poor treatment in educational and work settings, erosion of their rights, and psychological damage. These all limit access to HIV testing, treatment and other HIV services.

Research by the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) outlines the possible consequences of HIV-related stigma as:

• loss of income and livelihood
• loss of marriage and childbearing options
• poor care within the health sector
• withdrawal of caregiving in the home
• loss of hope and feelings of worthlessness
• loss of reputation.

UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) cites fear of stigma and discrimination as the main reason why people are reluctant to get tested, disclose their HIV status and take antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).

Culture and

Community-level stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV can force people to leave their home and change their daily activities.

In many contexts, women and girls often fear stigma and rejection from their families, not only because they stand to lose their social place of belonging, but also because they could lose their shelter, their children, and their ability to survive. The isolation that social rejection brings can lead to low self-esteem, depression, and even thoughts or acts of suicide.

The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) reports that in Bangladesh more than half of women living with HIV have experienced stigma from a friend or neighbour and one in five feel suicidal. In the Dominican Republic, six out of ten women living with HIV fear being the subject of gossip, while in Ethiopia, more than half of all women living with HIV report having low self-esteem.