Internalized HIV/AIDS-related Stigma in a Sample of HIV-positive People in Bangladesh

Abstract

Internalized stigma among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) is prevalent in Bangladesh. A better understanding of the effects of stigma on PLHA is required to reduce this and to minimize its harmful effects. This study employed a quantitative approach by conducting a survey with an aim to know the prevalence of internalized stigma and to identify the factors associated with internalized stigma among a sample of 238 PLHA (male=152 and female=86) in Bangladesh. The findings suggest that there is a significant difference between groups with the low and the high-internalized HIV/AIDS stigma in terms of both age and gender. The prevalence of internalized stigma varied according to the poverty status of PLHA. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) found 10 of 15 items loaded highly on the three factors labelled self-acceptance, self-exclusion, and social withdrawal. About 68% of the PLHA felt ashamed, and 54% felt guilty because of their HIV status. More than half (87.5% male and 19.8% female) of the PLHA blamed themselves for their HIV status while many of them (38.2% male and 8.1% female) felt that they should be punished. The male PLHA more frequently chose to withdraw themselves from family and social gatherings compared to the female PLHA. They also experienced a higher level of internalized stigma compared to the female PLHA. The results suggest that the prevalence of internalized stigma is high in Bangladesh, and much needs to be done by different organizations working for and with the PLHA to reduce internalized stigma among this vulnerable group.

Health‐related quality of life among women in rural Bangladesh after surgical repair of obstetric fistula

“…The questions posed to participants as part of this questionnaire were first prepared in English and then translated into Bengali. The questions on discrimination experiences and internalized stigma were created by review of previous studies [15,16]. Five questions with either "yes" or "no" as the possible answer assessed discrimination experiences resulting from obstetric fistula during the previous 6-month period.…”

Stigma and Discrimination faced by HIV-infected Adults on Antiretroviral Therapy for more than 1 Year in Raichur Taluk, Karnataka, India

“…Such mentality existing in the HIV-free population was highlighted by others as well. 9,16,19,[25][26][27][28] A few participants reported of depression and one had a suicidal tendency, so HIV-associated discrimination could be a serious cause of depression. A study in Thailand showed that emotional and social support was inversely related to depression and directly related to stigma.…”

“…8 Stigma is a major barrier for the successful treatment of the PLWHA worldwide as highlighted by a number of studies. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] We report the first study related to stigma in the North Karnataka Region of India, which is one of the most underdeveloped areas of the state and has a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS.…”

Sikap Masyarakat Pada Odha Di Desa Serangkat Kabupaten Bengkayang Provinsi Kalimantan Barat

“…Stigma pada HIV/AIDS muncul proses internalisasi terkait pada suatu penyakit yang tidak dapat disembuhkan dan berujung pada kematian. Stigma juga timbul karena kurangnya paparan informasi sehingga menyebabkan pengetahuan yang rendah serta adanya rasa takut tertular, dan seiring pemahaman yang berkembang tentang penyakit ini, stigma bergeser pada perilaku high-risk yang dapat menyebabkan seseorang terjangkiti virus tersebut dan juga dipandang tidak bermoral, sehingga para ODHA dirasa patut untuk menderita penyakit mematikan ini (Hasan et al, 2012;Waluyo, Culbert, Levy, & Norr., 2014;Yang et al, 2015).…”