RESEARCH PAPER
Stigma and discrimination in the view of people living with human immunodeficiency virus in Isfahan, Iran
1
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health School, and Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
2
HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Submission date: 2019-01-15
Final revision date: 2019-07-17
Acceptance date: 2019-07-17
Publication date: 2020-06-28
HIV & AIDS Review 2020;19(2):132-138
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
In Iran, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a stigmatized issue and there is a nega¬tive attitude towards the disease. The stigma and discrimination because of HIV can affect both physical and mental health, social activities, and the quality of life of HIV-positive people. The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitude towards HIV infection among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Isfahan, Iran.
Material and methods:
This cross-sectional study examined 99 HIV-positive patients from the Isfahan Health Center, Isfahan, Iran, in December 2017. A standard questionnaire through a cross-sectional study was used to evaluate the attitude concerning HIV infection among PLHIV. In addition, linear regression was used to assess factors affecting attitude among PLHIV.
Results:
About 24% of participants had good levels of attitude, whereas 67.71% of them had a moderate attitude. In addition, around 93% of respondents believed that to allow PLHIV to joint freely in all social activities. The evaluated factors such as gender (p = 0.28), age (p = 0.96), educational level (p = 0.83), and marital status and occupation (p = 0.58), did not have a significant relationship with the attitude score.
Conclusions:
The attitude to HIV infection was not satisfactory among PLHIV in Isfahan, considering that HIV/AIDS-related stigma can cause personal, familial, and social problems. Therefore, appropriate actions are needed to improve the attitude and to reduce stigma associated with HIV infection.
In Iran, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a stigmatized issue and there is a nega¬tive attitude towards the disease. The stigma and discrimination because of HIV can affect both physical and mental health, social activities, and the quality of life of HIV-positive people. The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitude towards HIV infection among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Isfahan, Iran.
Material and methods:
This cross-sectional study examined 99 HIV-positive patients from the Isfahan Health Center, Isfahan, Iran, in December 2017. A standard questionnaire through a cross-sectional study was used to evaluate the attitude concerning HIV infection among PLHIV. In addition, linear regression was used to assess factors affecting attitude among PLHIV.
Results:
About 24% of participants had good levels of attitude, whereas 67.71% of them had a moderate attitude. In addition, around 93% of respondents believed that to allow PLHIV to joint freely in all social activities. The evaluated factors such as gender (p = 0.28), age (p = 0.96), educational level (p = 0.83), and marital status and occupation (p = 0.58), did not have a significant relationship with the attitude score.
Conclusions:
The attitude to HIV infection was not satisfactory among PLHIV in Isfahan, considering that HIV/AIDS-related stigma can cause personal, familial, and social problems. Therefore, appropriate actions are needed to improve the attitude and to reduce stigma associated with HIV infection.
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