Stigma, social relationship and HIV testing in the workplace: evidence from South Africa

Yutaka Arimoto, Ito Seiro, Yuya Kudo and Tsukada Kazunari

No 386, IDE Discussion Papers from Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO)

Abstract: This paper explores whether a worker's unwillingness to make his/her HIV-positive status or test-taking experience known by colleagues impedes his/her decision to test for HIV. After analyzing the new survey data provided by employees working for a large multinational enterprise in South Africa (2009-2010), this study finds that this unwillingness is negatively associated with test-taking (at the enterprise's on-site clinic) of workers who are extensively networked with close colleagues (i.e., know their phone numbers). It appears that the expected disutility associated with HIV/AIDS-related stigma prohibits test uptake. When introducing HIV counseling and testing programs into a corporate sector, providing all workers with an excuse to test in the workplace and/or inducing them to privately test outside the workplace may be effective in encouraging the uptake.

Keywords: South Africa; Diseases; Health and hygiene; Social problems; Corporate sector; Disclosure concern; Discrimination; HIV/AIDS; Perceived stigma; Social network (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 I12 M14 M54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-02-01
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published in IDE Discussion Paper = IDE Discussion Paper, No. 386. 2013-02-01

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Working Paper: Stigma, Social Relationship and HIV Testing in the Workplace: Evidence from South Africa (2013)
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