Abstract
Thirty years after the first diagnosis, people living with HIV (PLWH) around the world continue to report stigmatizing experiences. In this study, beliefs contributing to HIV-related stigma in African and Afro-Caribbean diaspora communities and their cultural context were explored through semi-structured interviews with HIV-positive (N¿=¿42) and HIV-negative (N¿=¿52) African, Antillean and Surinamese diaspora community members in the Netherlands. Beliefs that HIV is highly contagious, that HIV is a very severe disease, and that PLWH are personally responsible for acquiring their HIV infection were found to contribute to HIV-related stigma, as did the belief that PLWH are HIV-positive because they engaged in norm-violating behaviour such as promiscuity, commercial sex work, and, for Afro-Caribbean diaspora, also homosexuality. These beliefs were found to be exacerbated and perpetuated by cultural taboos on talking about HIV and sexuality. HIV-related stigma reduction interventions should focus on changing these beliefs and breaking cultural taboos on HIV and sexuality in a manner that is participatory and consistent with the current theory and empirical findings
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 470-484 |
Journal | Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Keywords
- aids-related stigma
- hiv/aids-related stigma
- south-africa
- intergroup contact
- discrimination
- attitudes
- people
- care
- experiences
- disclosure