title: HIV Stigma Toward People Living With HIV and Health Providers Associated With Their Care: Qualitative Interviews With Community Members in Egypt.
abstract: We explored perceived HIV stigma by community members in a low-HIV-prevalence setting toward people living with HIV (PLWH) and physicians associated with HIV in order to develop operational stigma reduction recommendations for HIV referral hospitals. In-depth interviews (N = 30) were conducted with educated and less-educated men and women in Egypt. Thematic analysis was applied to identify drivers, manifestations, and outcomes of stigma. Stigma toward PLWH was rooted in values and fears, manifesting in reluctance to use the same health facilities as PLWH. Stigma toward physicians providing care for PLWH was caused by fear of infection and developed into unwillingness to use those physicians' services. Stigma toward physicians who refused to provide care was linked to perceptions of unethical behavior. HIV referral hospitals in low HIV prevalence settings could benefit from stigma reduction interventions with a special focus on addressing moral-based stigma and fear of casual transmission.
authors.forename: Anna-Leena
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Lohiniva
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.forename: Manal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benkirane
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Numair
authors.forename: Mahdy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdelrahman
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zahran
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talaat
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kandeel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D016079:Refusal to Treat; D057545:Social Stigma; D013240:Stereotyping
keywords: denial of care; low HIV prevalence setting; stigma; stigma reduction