Women's experiences with HIV-related stigma from health care providers in Lima, Peru: "I would rather die than go back for care".
Dellanira Valencia-Garcia, Deepa Rao, Lara Strick and 1 others
PMID 27485767WHAT IT FOUND
HIV-positive women in Lima said stigma from doctors and nurses, especially during childbirth and aftercare, discouraged them from seeking care.
Some described isolation, harsh disclosure, and fear of being marked.
Key findings
0179% of women perceived being treated differently because of their HIV serostatus.
02Women said the most frequent and distressing stigma came from healthcare providers, especially during childbirth and aftercare.
03All 14 participants discussed HIV-related discrimination or maltreatment, but only three women reported speaking out when treated poorly.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study interviewed 14 women from one clinic in Lima, so the experiences may not represent other HIV-positive women in Peru, especially in rural areas. Women were purposively selected from an ongoing study, and self-selection bias may have occurred. The authors could not confirm whether the women were actually discriminated against; the findings are their perceptions. Interviews occurred in September 2005, when antiretroviral treatment access was just beginning to increase in Peru. The paper reports only one theme, stigma from healthcare providers, not all stigma experiences.
Declared interests
The authors report no real or perceived vested interests related to this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that health care providers were proven to discriminate against all women or that staff training will reduce stigma. The study reports women's perceptions from a small qualitative sample and did not test any intervention.