Perceived and Experienced Stigma and Discrimination among Caregivers of Perinatally HIV-Infected Adolescents in Thailand
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12970/2309-0529.2013.01.02.5Keywords:
Human immunodeficiency virus, social stigma, discrimination, caregivers, Thailand.Abstract
Caregivers are an integral part of the lives of adolescents living with HIV/AIDS. HIV-related stigma and discrimination is often both perpetuated and reflected back on the caregiver. We explored perceived and experienced HIV-related stigma and discrimination among caregivers of perinatally HIV-infected adolescents. Eighty-four caregivers were interviewed. In the community and in school caregivers perceived that others feared being infected from the adolescent (33%) and felt disgust regarding the HIV-positive status of the adolescent (25%). Caregivers forbade their adolescent from sharing his/her drinking glass (49%). In conclusion caregivers’ discrimination were more prevalent than their perceptions of stigma and discrimination in the community or schools, which was primarily shown by forbidding the adolescent to share his/her drinking glass. Caregivers propagate the adolescent’s stigma and discrimination. With increasing access to HAART, HIV has become a chronic disease in some settings, although HIV-related stigma and discrimination still exist.References
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