“You are always hiding. It’s the worst way to live.” Exploring stigma in African immigrants living with HIV in a large northwest U.S. metropolitan area

African immigrants living in the United States are disproportionately and uniquely affected by HIV. Evidence shows that stigma may contribute to this inequity. Applying a biopsychosocial model of health, our qualitative study explored HIV-related stigma and its impact on African immigrants living with HIV in a large northwest U.S. metropolitan area. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 20 African immigrants living with HIV. In the biological health realm, HIV-related stigma contributed to adverse health care environments, disruptions in care, and poor physical health.

Source: Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care - November 25, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Paul E. Nevin, Sarah Frey, Lauren Lipira, Meheret Endeshaw, Lisa Niemann, Roxanne P. Kerani, Deepa Rao Source Type: research