Prevalence of HIV-related stigma among people with HIV in Switzerland: addressing the elephant in the room.

Kampouri, Eleftheria; Damas, José; Kusejko, Katharina; Ledergerber, Bruno; Braun, Dominique; Tshikung, Olivier Nawej; Hachfeld, Anna; Weisser, Maja; Wissel, Kerstin; Bernasconi, Enos; Manuel, Isabel Cobos; Jackson-Perry, David; Eriksson, Lars E; Reinius, Maria; Cavassini, Matthias; Darling, Katharine E A (2024). Prevalence of HIV-related stigma among people with HIV in Switzerland: addressing the elephant in the room. AIDS, 38(13), pp. 1874-1884. Wolters Kluwer Health 10.1097/QAD.0000000000003983

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OBJECTIVES

We aimed to determine the prevalence of HIV-related stigma among people with HIV (PWH) in Switzerland.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional multicentre study nested within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS).

METHODS

We included adult PWH enrolled in the SHCS, attending follow-up between March 1st, 2020, and January 31st, 2021. Inability to speak English, French, German, or Italian was the only exclusion criterion. Participants were invited to complete a validated 12-item HIV-stigma questionnaire comprising four stigma subscales (negative self-image, personalised stigma, disclosure concerns, and concerns regarding public attitudes), plus two healthcare-related stigma items. Questionnaire responses were graded using a four-point Likert-type scale, higher scores indicating higher stigma. "Non-applicable", inferring HIV-status non-disclosure, was possible for personalised stigma; stigma scores from participants answering "non-applicable" to ≥1 items were analysed separately. Factors associated with HIV-stigma were identified through multivariable linear models.

RESULTS

Of 9643 PWH with a SHCS visit, 5563 participated in the study: 26% were female, 13% Black and 37% heterosexual; median age was 53 years (interquartile range 44-59); 2067 participants (37%) gave ≥1 "non-applicable" responses. Disclosure concerns had the highest stigma scores and were reported by 4656/5563 (84%). HIV-stigma was reported across all demographic groups. However, being female, Black, and heterosexual were independently associated with higher scores. Higher education and longer follow-up duration were associated with lower scores. Healthcare-related stigma was reported in 37% of participants.

CONCLUSIONS

HIV-stigma was prevalent across all demographic groups. The association with being female and Black suggests that HIV-stigma accentuates pre-existing gender and race inequalities.

Interest & Impact

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5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

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