Geographic distribution of HIV stigma among women of childbearing age in rural Kenya.
OBJECTIVE
HIV stigma is considered to be a major driver of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, yet there is a limited understanding of its occurrence. We describe the geographic patterns of two forms of HIV stigma in a cross-sectional sample of women of childbearing age from western Kenya: internalized stigma (associated with shame) and externalized stigma (associated with blame).


METHODS
Geographic studies of HIV stigma provide a first step in generating hypotheses regarding potential community-level causes of stigma and may lead to more effective community-level interventions.


METHODS
Spatial regression using generalized additive models and point pattern analyses using K-functions were used to assess the spatial scale(s) at which each form of HIV stigma clusters, and to assess whether the spatial clustering of each stigma indicator was present after adjustment for individual-level characteristics.


RESULTS
There was evidence that externalized stigma (blame) was geographically heterogeneous across the study area, even after controlling for individual-level factors (P=0.01). In contrast, there was less evidence (P=0.70) of spatial trend or clustering of internalized stigma (shame).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results may point to differences in the underlying social processes motivating each form of HIV stigma. Externalized stigma may be driven more by cultural beliefs disseminated within communities, whereas internalized stigma may be the result of individual-level characteristics outside the domain of community influence. These data may inform community-level interventions to decrease HIV-related stigma, and thus impact the HIV epidemic.
aUniversity of Washington, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Department of Epidemiology bUniversity of Washington Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Department of Global Health cUniversity of Washington School of Nursing dUniversity of Washington, Department of Statistics, Seattle, Washington, USA eUniversity of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya fDivision of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA gKenya Medical Research Institute/CDC Research and Public Health Collaboration, Kisumu, Kenya hCenter for Global Health, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Adam
A
Akullian
Pamela
P
Kohler
John
J
Kinuthia
Kayla
K
Laserson
Lisa A
LA
Mills
John
J
Okanda
George
G
Olilo
Maurice
M
Ombok
Frank
F
Odhiambo
Deepa
D
Rao
Jonathan
J
Wakefield
Grace
G
John-Stewart
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D012424:Rural Population; D057545:Social Stigma; D062206:Spatial Analysis; D055815:Young Adult