TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of HIV-related stigma among an early sample of patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Botswana
AU - Wolfe, William R.
AU - Weiser, S. D.
AU - Bangsberg, D. R.
AU - Thior, I.
AU - Makhema, J. M.
AU - Dickinson, D. B.
AU - Mompati, K. F.
AU - Marlink, R. G.
PY - 2006/11/1
Y1 - 2006/11/1
N2 - Botswana, with its estimated HIV prevalence of 37%, instituted a policy of universal access toantiretroviral 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.
AB - Botswana, with its estimated HIV prevalence of 37%, instituted a policy of universal access toantiretroviral 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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U2 - 10.1080/09540120500333558
DO - 10.1080/09540120500333558
M3 - Article
C2 - 17012082
AN - SCOPUS:33749482482
SN - 0954-0121
VL - 18
SP - 931
EP - 933
JO - AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV
JF - AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV
IS - 8
ER -