title: Stigma and access to HIV care among HIV-infected women in Kolkata, West Bengal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stigma is an important issue for marginalized HIV-infected populations. We describe stigma among HIV-infected women on antiretroviral therapy and associations with access to clinical care, demographic factors, and structural elements of support.
  
  
  METHODS
  HIV-infected women attending a government-supported clinic in Kolkata, India, were asked about experiences with stigma. Clinical information was abstracted from medical records. We described factors associated with stigma using ordinal logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 198 women, higher levels of stigma were associated with lower CD4 count upon entry into care (aOR = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.65, 0.94]), district of residence (aOR = 1.9; CI: [1.0, 3.4]), presence of extended family in the household (aOR = 0.57; CI: [0.32, 1.0]), and employment at the time of the interview (aOR = 0.48; CI: [0.26, 0.90]). Stigma was not associated with having missed scheduled HIV care appointments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stigma is prevalent among Indian women with HIV, should be further explored, and may be important in considering public health interventions for better access to care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. sdasgu@sph.emory.edu
authors.forename: Sharoda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.forename: Patrick S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Aparajita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.forename: Bibhuti
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: Laura F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Salazar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D057545:Social Stigma; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires