"In God's Hands": Qualitative Study of Religion/Spirituality and HIV-Related Intersectional Stigma Among Black Women Living With HIV in Washington, DC.
Tamara Taggart, Megan A Jones, Maniza A Habib and 4 others
PMID 41505628WHAT IT FOUND
Black women living with HIV described stigma from family, providers, and religious spaces as barriers to care.
Many used personal spirituality, not organized religion, to cope and keep taking medication.
Key findings
01Stigma from family and friends, including fear-based reactions and shame, was tied to self-isolation and reduced motivation to remain in HIV care.
02Participants said dismissive provider attitudes and a narrow focus on medication adherence undermined trust and made them less likely to remain in care.
03Personal spiritual practices, including integrating HIV medication into a routine, were used to maintain access to resources that supported HIV care engagement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Findings are based on 30 interviews in Washington, DC, so they may not apply to Black women living with HIV in other regions, especially rural areas. Participants were recruited through community organizations and social media, so they may have been more connected to HIV support networks than women not reached. Stigma and adherence were self-reported, so recall and social desirability may affect what women told the research team. Interviews captured experiences at one time point, not how stigma, religion, or spirituality changed over time. This was a formative qualitative study, so it does not show that any intervention improved HIV care.
Declared interests
The authors reported no real or perceived vested interests related to the article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that spirituality improves HIV adherence or that a spirituality-informed intervention works. It is a qualitative study of 30 women's experiences, so it cannot separate the effects of stigma, faith, and care engagement.