HIV/AIDS Related Stigmatization and Discrimination
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Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
Abstract
HIV Stigmatization and discrimination have been found to cut across countries of the globe without exception. The
consequences of stigma are wide-ranging: being shunned by family, peers and the wider community, poor treatment in
healthcare and educational settings, psychological damage and a negative effect on the success of HIV testing and
treatment. The objective of this present study was to assess the level of HIV/AIDS associated stigmatization in a Federal
Medical Centre. The study was done through the administration of pretested self-administered questionnaire comprising two
sections to 200 HIV/AIDS patients during clinic sessions. Majority of the respondents (71%) were females. The highest age
group was within the range 36-45years (37%). A remarkable number (68.8%) of the respondents were married, 45.9%
completed secondary school level while 50% were self-employed. Majority (30.0%) of the respondents knew their status
through testing, 74.7% felt depressed on knowing their status, 80.0% disclosed their status to their family members, 81.0% felt uncomfortable attending clinic for treatment while 70.65% preferred attending a clinic far away from their homes. The impact of stigma and discrimination can be said to very high among these HIV/AIDS patients as reasons given for not wanting to be seen in social gatherings, wanting to go far away from home to obtain treatment and some other reasons are all stigma and discrimination related.
Description
NONE
Keywords
HIV/AIDS, Stigma, discrimination, FMC