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

Abstract #70282

Dallas T Swendeman, MPH¹, Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus, PhD², Scott Comulada, MPH¹, and Robert E. Weiss, PhD³. (1) Center for Community Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 10920 Wilshire, Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA 90024-6521, 310-794-6144, metacom@ucla.edu, (2) Neuropsychiatric Institute, Center for Community Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 10920 Wilshire, Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA 90024-6521, (3) Department of Biostatistics, UCLA, 51-269 CHS, Los Angeles, CA, CA 90095

Background: HIV-related stigma is a significant barrier to identification, prevention, and treatment efforts. Emotional distress and AIDS-disease progression have been associated with increased reports of HIV-stigma. HIV-positive persons may also experience co-stigmatizing factors associated with the HIV epidemic, such as, poverty, ethnicity, sexuality, substance use, prostitution, and homelessness.

Method: YPLH aged 16 to 29 years (n=150; median age = 23; 25% African-American, 43% Latino; 75% gay/bisexual men) were recruited from over 20 clinical care sites and community announcements in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City from 1999-2000. Structured interviews were administered. Univariate and multivariate analyses examined associations between HIV-related stigma and demographic, lifestyle, and psychological measures.

Results: Most YPLH (64%) reported lifetime HIV-stigma experiences. Less than 20% reported recent experiences but 75% reported recent perceived HIV-stigma. HIV-stigma was significantly related to emotional distress, as well as poverty, ethnicity, and injecting drug use. Safer sexual behavior was associated with lower HIV-stigma. In multivariate analyses the strongest predictors of HIV-stigma were AIDS disease progression, emotional distress, previous suicide attempts, and previous gay-related stigma experiences. Gay/Bisexual YPLH who had an AIDS diagnosis reported significantly higher HIV-stigma experiences than their heterosexual peers.

Conclusion: HIV-related stigma is a complex phenomenon having serious implications for the quality of life and risk behaviors of YPLH. The heightened awareness and subsequent stigma of AIDS disease for gay/bisexual YPLH may warrant targeted intervention.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss 3 types of experienced HIV-related stigma and 3 types of perceived HIV-related stigma, and their implications for prevention.

Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, 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.