Geographic distribution of HIV stigma among women of childbearing age in rural Kenya
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Date
2014-04-24Author
Akulliana, Adam
Kohler, Pamela
Kinuthia, John
Laserson, Kayla
Mills, Lisa A.
Okanda, John
Olilo, George
Ombok, Maurice
Odhiambo, Frank
[et.al]
Language
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Objective(s): 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).
Design: 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
(P¼0.01). In contrast, there was less evidence (P¼0.70) of spatial trend or clustering of
internalized stigma (shame).
Conclusion: 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.
Citation
Akulliana, Adam., Kohler, Pamela., Kinuthia, John., Laserson, Kayla., Mills, Lisa A., Okanda, John., Olilo, George., Ombok, Maurice., [et.al], (2014). Geographic distribution of HIV stigma among women of childbearing age in rural Kenya. AIDS 2014, 28 (11):1665–1672Publisher
University of Nairobi
Collections
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) [10385]