Humanizing HIV/AIDS and its (re)stigmatizing effects: HIV public 'positive' speaking in India

Paradigm shifts in sexual health: Quantitative analysis of story and fact-based health education interventions

There is a pressing need for sex education interventions that combat stigma and increase HIV knowledge and comfort in talking about sex among Canadian South Asians. A community-based research study in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada assessed (1) the impact of fact-based versus story-based interventions on two outcomes: knowledge of HIV/STIs and HIV-related stigma; and (2) the potential of parasocial contact to reduce HIV-related stigma. This is a peer-facilitated, mixed method intervention involving a partnership between the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP), an organization serving South Asian and Middle Eastern people living with and affected by HIV, knowledge users, and a team of academic researchers. Eight South Asian women peer leaders were trained to help carry out the interventions. A convenience sample of 78, ages 18–60 were recruited. Participants were randomly allocated to traditional fact sheets (n = 40), and stories (n = 38). Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to investigate the differences in the two outcome variables (HIV/STI knowledge and stigma) between the two study groups after the intervention controlling for differences in measures before the intervention. Adjusted mean for the HIV/STI knowledge after the intervention was significantly higher in the story-sharing group (M = 8.02, SE = .28) vs fact-based group (M = 7.13, SE = .27), F(1, 75) = 5.10, p = .027, with the small effect size, partial Π2 = .06. Similarly, a significant difference was found in the mean post-intervention stigma scores between the story-sharing group and the fact-based group, F(1, 41) = 5.03, p = .030, with moderate effect size, partial Π2 = .11. Specifically, the mean stigma scores in the story-sharing group (M = 45.75, SE = 2.72) were significantly lower than the fact-based group (M = 54.80, SE = 2.85). Story-based interventions facilitated through parasocial contact with peer leaders offer powerful potential across populations and showed promise by increasing HIV/STI knowledge, reducing HIV-related stigma, and fostering capacity building, agency and empowerment.

HIV positive men as fathers: Accounts of displacement, ir/responsibility and paternal emergence

It is now apparent that socio-cultural constructions of masculinity variously impact men's experiences of their HIV positive status, yet how being a father can feature in this mix remains under-researched. This study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews and Foucauldian-informed discourse analysis to explore the accounts of six self-identifying heterosexual fathers (four Black African migrants, two White European) who had been living with HIV from 5 to 24 years. While the HIV-related literature calls for the need to subvert 'traditional' expressions of masculinity as a means of promoting HIV prevention and HIV health, we argue that the lived experience for HIV positive men as fathers is more socially, discursively and thus more psychologically nuanced. We illustrate this by highlighting ways in which HIV positive men as fathers are not simply making sense of themselves as a HIV positive man for whom the modern (new) man and father positions are useful strategies for adapting to HIV and combating associated stigma. Discourses of modern and patriarchal fatherhoods, a gender-specific discourse of irresponsibility and the neoliberal conflation of heath and self-responsibility are also at work in the sense-making frames that HIV positive men, who are also fathers, can variously deploy. Our analysis shows how this discursive mix can underpin possibilities of often conflicted meaning and identity when living as a man and father with HIV in the United Kingdom, and specifically how discourses of fatherhood and HIV 'positive' health can complicate these men's expressions and inhabitations of masculinity.

Knowledge and attitudes towards hepatitis C and injecting drug use among mental-health support workers of a community managed organisation

Objectives People with mental illness are at significantly higher risk of acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV) compared with the general population. This study assessed knowledge of and attitudes towards people with HCV and people who inject drugs (PWID) among support workers of clients with mental illness. Methods Support workers from a community managed organisation (CMO) in Australia were recruited to complete an online cross-sectional survey. The survey collected data about their knowledge of HCV and attitudes towards PWID and people with HCV. Results Valid responses were received from 117 support workers. Although HCV knowledge was moderate, there were significant knowledge gaps around transmission and treatment of HCV. Higher HCV knowledge was significantly associated with more positive attitudes towards PWID, but not with attitudes towards people with HCV. Participants had more positive attitudes towards people with HCV than towards PWID. Additionally, those with more positive attitudes towards HCV tended to also have more positive attitudes towards PWID. Conclusions Given that people with mental illness are at higher risk of acquiring HCV, these results point to the need for education targeted at support workers of clients with mental illness to increase HCV knowledge and promote positive attitudes towards PWID and people with HCV. What is known about this topic? The limited research available suggests that there are gaps in HCV knowledge among mental-health-service providers, although such research has generally targeted physicians. What does this paper add? This paper is the first to assess HCV knowledge, attitudes towards PWID and HCV among mental-health support workers. The findings suggest that although HCV knowledge is moderate, significant gaps exist, which are related to negative attitudes towards PWID. What are the implications for practitioners? Supportive and non-judgemental care is essential for people with mental illness and HCV, due to the potential for a double stigma arising from negative attitudes towards both mental illness and injecting drug use. This paper highlights the importance of targeted education for workers in the mental-health sector, to increase HCV knowledge and promote positive attitudes towards people with co-occurring mental-health, substance use problems and HCV.

Challenging stereotypes and changing attitudes: Improving quality of care for people with hepatitis C through Positive Speakers programs

Positive Speakers programs consist of people who are trained to speak publicly about their illness. The focus of these programs, especially with stigmatised illnesses such as hepatitis C (HCV), is to inform others of the speakers' experiences, thereby humanising the illness and reducing ignorance associated with the disease. This qualitative research aimed to understand the perceived impact of Positive Speakers programs on changing audience members' attitudes towards people with HCV. Interviews were conducted with nine Positive Speakers and 16 of their audience members to assess the way in which these sessions were perceived by both speakers and the audience to challenge stereotypes and stigma associated with HCV and promote positive attitude change amongst the audience. Data were analysed using Intergroup Contact Theory to frame the analysis with a focus on whether the program met the optimal conditions to promote attitude change. Findings suggest that there are a number of vital components to this Positive Speakers program which ensures that the program meets the requirements for successful and equitable intergroup contact. This Positive Speakers program thereby helps to deconstruct stereotypes about people with HCV, while simultaneously increasing positive attitudes among audience members with the ultimate aim of improving quality of health care and treatment for people with HCV.

Association between stigma, depression and quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in South India - a community based cross sectional study

Background

India has around 2.27 million adults living with HIV/AIDS who face several challenges in the medical management of their disease. Stigma, discrimination and psychosocial issues are prevalent. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of severe stigma and to study the association between this, depression and the quality of life (QOL) of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in Tamil Nadu.

Methods

This was a community based cross sectional study carried out in seven districts of Tamil Nadu, India, among 400 PLHA in the year 2009. The following scales were used for stigma, depression and quality of life, Berger scale, Major Depression Inventory (MDI) scale and the WHO BREF scale. Both Stigma and QOL were classified as none, moderate or severe/poor based on the tertile cut off values of the scale scores. Depression was classified as none, mild, moderate and severe. Logistic regression analyses were performed to study the risk factors.

Results

Twenty seven per cent of PLHA had experienced severe forms of stigma. These were severe forms of personalized stigma (28.8%), negative self-image (30.3%), perceived public attitude (18.2%) and disclosure concerns (26%). PLHA experiencing severe depression were 12% and those experiencing poor quality of life were 34%. Poor QOL reported in the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains was 42.5%, 40%, 51.2% and 34% respectively. PLHA who had severe personalized stigma and negative self-image had 3.4 (1.6-7.0) and 2.1 (1.0-4.1) times higher risk of severe depression respectively (p < .001). PLHA who had severe depression had experienced 2.7(1.1-7.7) times significantly poorer QOL.

Conclusions

Severe forms of stigma were equivalently prevalent among all the categories of PLHA. However, PLHA who had experienced severe depression had only developed poor QOL. A high level of social support was associated with a high level of QOL.

Discrimination, stigma, and AIDS: a review of academic literature produced in Brazil (2005-2010)

Given the implications of stigma for HIV/AIDS prevention and control of the epidemic, as emphasized by UNAIDS, this study analyzes the Brazilian academic production on health, AIDS, stigma, and discrimination, available in the SciELO database from 2005 to 2010. Brazilian research on the theme is modest as compared to the international literature, but the studies follow the same trend of focusing on individual experiences of discrimination as opposed to analysis of stigma and discrimination as social processes associated with power relations and domination (macro-social structures) and the characteristics of individuals and social groups that shape social interactions. The current study seeks to analyze the reasons for the scarcity of studies on the social perspective towards stigma and discrimination in the field of public health and the implications for the development of proposals to deal with HIV/AIDS-related discrimination.