The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #60246

David Abramson, MPH, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, room 1106, New York, NC 10032, Elizabeth Needham Waddell, PhD, Center for Applied Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, room 1106, New York, NY 10032, 212-305-3583, ecn5@columbia.edu, and Thurka Sangaramoorthy, MPH, Joint Program in Medical Anthropology, University of California- San Francisco and Berkeley, UCSF Box 0850, Suite 485, 3333 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94143.

This analysis explores the prevalence and effects of HIV-related stigma among two randomly-sampled, longitudinal HIV cohorts in New York City (n=700) and the neighboring suburban area of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties (n=396). Using stigma scales constructed from survey data, we examine four facets of HIV-related social stigma within these urban and suburban cohorts: (1) the epidemiology of HIV-related stereotyping, social isolation, and discrimination; (2) the correlation between HIV-related stigma and health and social service utilization; (3) the variation in HIV-related stigma by urban or suburban setting; and (4) the relationship between HIV-related stigma and key health outcomes (e.g., access to antiretroviral medications, adherence to treatment, and self-reported health status). We hypothesize that HIV-positive adults in New York City are less likely to experience HIV-related stigma than their suburban counterparts due to the anonymity and diversity of urban life, the density of HIV-positive subgroup populations, and the city's differentiated service system. Since other individual characteristics could plausibly explain variations in the outcomes, we have controlled for sociodemographic differences (such as gender, race/ethnicity, age, education, and annual household income) as well as risks and resources (such as HIV risk, housing stability, insurance status, and drug use) in our analyses.

Learning Objectives:

• At the session's conclusion, participants will be able to describe the epidemiology of HIV stigma in an urban and suburban setting, evaluate the potential role of stigma in suppressing service utilization and positive health outcomes, and identify key differences in patterns of HIV stigma among urban and suburban HIV-positive populations.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.