Testing the efficacy of an HIV stigma reduction intervention with medical students in Puerto Rico: the SPACES project

Varas-Díaz, Nelson; Neilands, Torsten B.; Cintrón-Bou, Francheska; Marzán-Rodríguez, Melissa; Santos-Figueroa, Axel; Santiago-Negrón, Salvador; Marqués, Domingo; Rodríguez-Madera, Sheilla

doi:10.7448/ias.16.3.18670

Cited by 22 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The workshops were provided within students’ medical schools in order to facilitate voluntary attendance and participation. The results from our longitudinal study evidenced that the SPACES intervention was effective in reducing HIV/AIDS stigma attitudes and that such changes were still present at 12 month after having completed the intervention (Varas-Díaz et al, 2013). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 79%

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The role of emotions in the reduction of HIV/AIDS stigma among physicians in training

et al. 2015

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Scientific literature has systematically documented the negative effects of social stigma for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). HIV/AIDS stigma has the potential to negatively impact self-care strategies for those already affected, and simultaneously hinder prevention efforts to deter the emergence of new infections. When health professionals manifest these negative attitudes access to quality health-care and prevention strategies can be seriously affected. Scientifically tested interventions to reduce HIV/AIDS stigma among health professionals are still scarce. Although the number of tested interventions has increased over the past decade, few of them target Latino health professionals or Spanish-speaking populations. Furthermore, although some of those interventions have been reported as effective for stigma reduction, more work is needed to better understand the underlying variables that account for the reduction of stigma attitudes in those efforts. The SPACES intervention has been documented as an effective HIV/AIDS stigma-reduction intervention focusing on health-care professionals in training. The intervention, which is delivered in Spanish, has been previously tested with medical students in Puerto Rico and shown significant results in addressing negative attitudes toward PLWHA. The main objective of this study was to document the underlying variables that fostered reduction of HIV/AIDS stigma due to participation in the SPACES intervention. Results evidence that health professionals in training who participated in the intervention (n = 507) had less stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWHA due to an increase in their positive emotions toward this population. In light of these results, we discuss the importance of engaging health professionals in HIV/AIDS stigma-reduction interventions that go beyond the provision of information and skills for interacting with PLWHA, and address the emotional component of HIV/AIDS stigma.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…We developed an intervention to reduce negative attitudes toward PLWHA among health professionals in training (Varas-Díaz et al, 2013). We named our intervention SPACES consistent with our promotional tagline of fostering “stigma free spaces in medical scenarios”.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of emotions in the reduction of HIV/AIDS stigma among physicians in training

et al. 2015

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“…The support strategy may reduce HIV stigma by changing stigmatizing behaviors of the people and, subsequently, increasing HIV test uptake (Doherty et al, 2013;Varas-Diaz et al, 2013). This was well illustrated in Uganda (Kaleeba et al, 1997) when interventions, such as providing counseling and social support, helped PLWH and their families cope with HIV and also changed people's stigmatizing behaviors and increased HIV test uptake.…”

Section: Mechanisms Of Stigma Reduction and Hiv Test Uptakementioning

confidence: 99%

“…An increased level of knowledge may change stigmatizing attitudes and subsequently change stigmatizing behaviors to reduce HIV stigma and increase HIV test uptake (Brown et al, 2003;Doherty et al, 2013;Stangl et al, 2013;Varas-Diaz et al, 2013). For example, Varas-Diaz et al (2013) and Perry, Fishman, Jacobsberg, Young, and Frances (1991) reported that education interventions were successful in increasing knowledge, changing stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors, and, subsequently,…”

Section: Mechanisms Of Stigma Reduction and Hiv Test Uptakementioning

confidence: 99%

Building a Conceptual Framework to Study the Effect of HIV Stigma-Reduction Intervention Strategies on HIV Test Uptake: A Scoping Review

Thapa¹,

Hannes²,

Cargo³

et al. 2017

Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care

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“…Of these 21 studies, nine focused on attitudes toward PLWHA among health care professionals, including physicians and medical students. All nine of the studies were authored or co-authored by the same individual (Varas-Diaz et al, 2014;Nyblade et al, 2013;Varas-Diaz et al, 2013;Varas-Diaz et al, 2012;Varas-Diaz and Neilands, 2009;Varas-Diaz and Rodriguez, 2007;Ruiz-Torres et al, 2007).…”

Section: Previous Research Examining Hiv-related Stigma Toward Plwha mentioning

confidence: 99%

The association of layered stigma and sympathy toward persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Puerto Rico

Norman¹

2015

J. AIDS HIV Res.

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To assess the levels of sympathy expressed toward various persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) associated with different target groups and to identify the factors associated with sympathy expressed toward various types of PLWHA. Data were collected from 832 HIV-negative female residents of public housing in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Less sympathy was expressed toward drug-using PLWHA when compared to normative contracted cases of HIV/AIDS. They also expressed less sympathy for drugusing PLWHA when compared to non-normative cases of HIV/AIDS. There was no difference in the level of sympathy expressed toward normative compared to non-normative cases of HIV/AIDS. Those respondents who reported knowing a friend or family member living with HIV/AIDS, those who reported being very spiritual, and those with post-high-school education, were more likely to express sympathy toward PLWHA. Findings of these analyses were not consistent with previous research with respect to varying level of negative attitudes toward PLWHA. The findings are important because they shed light on the varying negative attitudes towards PLWHA. As such, messages and interventions must be cognizant of the cultural contexts in which PLWHA live when developing anti-HIV stigma programs and not just the at-risk groups with which the PLWHA are associated.

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Testing the efficacy of an HIV stigma reduction intervention with medical students in Puerto Rico: the SPACES project

Cited by 22 publications

References 20 publications

The role of emotions in the reduction of HIV/AIDS stigma among physicians in training

The role of emotions in the reduction of HIV/AIDS stigma among physicians in training

Building a Conceptual Framework to Study the Effect of HIV Stigma-Reduction Intervention Strategies on HIV Test Uptake: A Scoping Review

The association of layered stigma and sympathy toward persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Puerto Rico

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