Effects of HIV-related stigma among an early sample of patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Botswana.
AIDS Care
; 18(8): 931-3, 2006 Nov.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-17012082
ABSTRACT
Botswana, with its estimated HIV prevalence of 37%, instituted a policy of universal access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2002. Initial enrolment lagged behind expectations, with a shortfall in voluntary testing that observers have attributed to HIV-related stigma - although there are no published data on stigma among HIV-positive individuals in Botswana. We interviewed 112 patients receiving ART in 2000, finding evidence of pervasive stigma in patterns of disclosure, social sequelae, and delays in HIV testing. Ninety-four percent of patients reported keeping their HIV status secret from their community, while 69% withheld this information even from their family. Twenty-seven percent of patients said that they feared loss of employment as a result of their HIV status. Forty percent of patients reported that they delayed getting tested for HIV; of these, 51% cited fear of a positive test result as the primary reason for delay in seeking treatment, which was often due to HIV-related stigma. These findings suggest that success of large-scale national ART programmes will require initiatives targeting stigma and its social, economic and political correlates.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Estereotipo
/
Infecciones por VIH
/
Fármacos Anti-VIH
Tipo de estudio:
Clinical_trials
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Diagnostic_studies
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Qualitative_research
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Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
País/Región como asunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
AIDS Care
Asunto de la revista:
SINDROME DA IMUNODEFICIENCIA ADQUIRIDA (AIDS)
Año:
2006
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos