Stigma and discrimination in the view of people living with human immunodeficiency virus in Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: In Iran, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a stigmatized issue and there is a negative attitude towards the disease. The stigma and discrimination because of HIV can affect both physical and mental health, social activities, and the quality of life of HIV-positive people. The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitude towards HIV infection among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Isfahan, Iran. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study examined 99 HIV-positive patients from the Isfahan Health Center, Isfahan, Iran, in December 2017. A standard questionnaire through a cross-sectional study was used to evaluate the attitude concerning HIV infection among PLHIV. In addition, linear regression was used to assess factors affecting attitude among PLHIV. Results: About 24 of participants had good levels of attitude, whereas 67.71 of them had a moderate attitude. In addition, around 93 of respondents believed that to allow PLHIV to joint freely in all social activities. The evaluated factors such as gender (p = 0.28), age (p = 0.96), educational level (p = 0.83), and marital status and occupation (p = 0.58), did not have a significant relationship with the attitude score. Conclusions: The attitude to HIV infection was not satisfactory among PLHIV in Isfahan, considering that HIV/AIDS-related stigma can cause personal, familial, and social problems. Therefore, appropriate actions are needed to improve the attitude and to reduce stigma associated with HIV infection.