Effective Messages to Reduce Stigma among People Newly Diagnosed with HIV during Rapid ART Initiation

Chadwick K. Campbell (), Kimberly A. Koester, Xavier A. Erguera, Lissa Moran, Noelle LeTourneau, Janessa Broussard, Pierre-Cédric Crouch, Elizabeth Lynch, Christy Camp, Sandra Torres, John Schneider, Lyndon VanderZanden, Susa Coffey and Katerina A. Christopoulos
Additional contact information
Chadwick K. Campbell: Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Kimberly A. Koester: Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
Xavier A. Erguera: Division of HIV, ID & Global Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
Lissa Moran: Division of HIV, ID & Global Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
Noelle LeTourneau: Division of HIV, ID & Global Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
Janessa Broussard: School of Nursing, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
Pierre-Cédric Crouch: UCSF Alliance Health Project, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA
Elizabeth Lynch: Division of HIV, ID & Global Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
Christy Camp: Division of HIV, ID & Global Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
Sandra Torres: Division of HIV, ID & Global Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
John Schneider: Howard Brown Health Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Lyndon VanderZanden: Howard Brown Health Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Susa Coffey: Division of HIV, ID & Global Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
Katerina A. Christopoulos: Division of HIV, ID & Global Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: HIV stigma has a negative influence on antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and persistence and viral suppression. Immediate access to ART (RAPID ART) has been shown to accelerate viral suppression (VS) that is sustained up to one year after HIV diagnosis. Little is known about the role of RAPID ART in reducing individual-level stigma. We explored how stigma manifests in RAPID ART encounters and whether RAPID ART interventions influence individual-level HIV stigma during and in the time immediately after the diagnosis experience. We conducted in-depth interviews with 58 RAPID ART patients from three health clinics in San Francisco, CA, and Chicago, IL. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed. In the results, we discuss three main themes. First, Pre-Diagnosis HIV Beliefs, which included three sub-themes: HIV is “gross” and only happens to other people; HIV (Mis)education; and People are “living long and strong” with HIV. Second, Positive and Reassuring Messages During the RAPID Experience, which included two sub-themes: Correcting Misinformation and Early Interactions with People Living with HIV. Third, The RAPID ART Process Can Disrupt Stigma. RAPID ART encounters served as a potent mechanism to disrupt internalized stigma by providing accurate information and dispelling unhelpful myths through verbal and nonverbal messages. Reducing internalized stigma and misinformation about HIV at this early stage has the potential to reduce the effect of HIV stigma on ART initiation and adherence over time.

Keywords: RAPID ART; immediate ART; HIV stigma; HIV; care engagement; qualitative research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/9/1133/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/9/1133/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:9:p:1133-:d:1465330

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().