Situating HIV Stigma in Health Facility Settings: A Qualitative Study of Experiences and Perceptions of Stigma in 'Clinics' among Healthcare Workers and Service Users in Zambia.

The study focused on the representations, processes and effects of HIV stigma for healthcare workers living with HIV within health facilities in Zambia. A descriptive study design was deployed. A total of 56 health workers and four service user participants responded to a structured questionnaire (n = 50) or took part in key informant interviews (n = 10) in five high HIV-prevalence provinces. Most participants did not disclose if they were living with HIV, except for four participants who responded to the questionnaire and were selected for being open about living with HIV. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with health workers in key government health facility positions. The questions were standardized and used a Likert scale. Descriptive statistical and thematic analyses were applied to the data. Results show that antiretroviral treatment (ART) has an impact on stigma reduction. Almost half the participants agreed that treatment is reducing levels of HIV stigma. However, fears of exposure of HIV status and labelling and judgemental attitudes persist. No comprehensive stigma reduction policies and guidelines in healthcare facilities were mentioned. Informal flexible systems to deliver HIV services were in place for health workers living with HIV, illustrating how stigma can be quietly navigated. Lack of confidentiality in healthcare facilities plays a role in fuelling disclosure issues and hampering access to testing and treatment. Stigma reduction training needs standardization. Further, codes of conduct for 'stigma-free healthcare settings' should be developed.

Feasibility, Acceptability and Preliminary Efficacy of Tikambisane ('Let's Talk to Each Other'): A Pilot Support Group Intervention for Adolescent Girls Living With HIV in Zambia.

BACKGROUND: In Zambia, 84,959 adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15-24 are currently living with HIV. We explored the feasibility and acceptability of a 6-session, curriculum-based support group intervention designed to address key concerns of AGYW living with HIV. SETTING: Urban Zambia. METHODS: Surveys and in-depth interviews were collected pre- and post-intervention from participants enrolled from 2 health facilities. Eight participant observations of sessions were conducted. Descriptive statistics at baseline were reported only for AGYW who participated in the intervention (N = 21), while analyses comparing baseline and endline outcome measures were restricted to participants who had data at both time points (N = 14). RESULTS: Support groups were feasible to conduct and acceptable to participants. Co-facilitation by an adult counselor and peers living with HIV raised confidence about session content. Sessions on antiretroviral therapy (ART), disclosure and stigma, and grief and loss were most in demand. We did not observe significant differences in key outcome measures between baseline and follow-up. However, qualitative data supported the positive impact of the intervention on ART adherence and hope for the future following the intervention among our participants. CONCLUSION: A short-term, structured support group series holds promise for helping AGYW living with HIV safely navigate a complex time in their lives.

"My mother told me that I should not": a qualitative study exploring the restrictions placed on adolescent girls living with HIV in Zambia.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by HIV due to a range of social and structural factors. As they transition to adulthood, they are recipients of increasing blame for HIV infection and 'improper' sex, as well as increasing scrutiny, restrictions and surveillance. This study used a qualitative and participatory approach to explore the messaging and restrictions imposed on adolescent girls living with HIV in Zambia. METHODS: Thirty-four in-depth interviews and four participatory workshops were carried out with 24 adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years old living with HIV in Lusaka, Zambia. Key themes explored included experiences living with HIV, finding out about HIV status, disclosure, experiences with antiretroviral treatment, and support needs. Data were organized, coded and analysed using a grounded theory approach to thematic analysis. This analysis uses data on participants' experiences of living with HIV and their interactions with their parents, guardians and healthcare providers. RESULTS: Family and healthcare providers, partly in a quest to protect both the health of adolescent girls living with HIV and also to protect them from blaming discourse, imposed restrictions on their behaviour around three main topics: don't disclose your HIV status, don't have sex, and don't miss your medicines. These restrictions were often delivered using tactics of fear, and usually disconnected from other options. Participants responded to these messages in several ways, including internalizing the messages, changing their behaviour either to comply with or resist the restrictions, by remaining silent and anxious when restrictions were broken, and developing concerns around their own health and sexual and reproductive aspirations. Participants also sometimes experiencing stigma when restrictions could not be maintained. CONCLUSIONS: Restrictive messages were delivered to adolescent girls living with HIV through the broader social discourses of stigma, religion, and global and local narratives about HIV. Programmes aiming to support adolescent girls living with HIV need to work together with parents and healthcare providers to reflect on the impact of sanctioning messages, and to encourage more enabling and empowering messaging for adolescent girls living with HIV.