The harms of internalized aids stigma: A comment on tsai et al.

摘要

The long-term negative impacts of ADDS stigma cannot be overstated. Broadly defined as the social discrediting and devaluation of individuals due to their living with HIV infection [1], ADDS stigma impedes prevention efforts, deters HIV antibody testing, fuels discrimination, and creates barriers to treatment services. Population-based surveys across countries consistently show.....AIDS stigmatizing beliefs are prevalent [2-4]. Even in countries that lack empirical research, the evidence for discrimination and violence against people living with HIV from personal testimonies, news reports, and anecdotes is overwhelming. Despite these harsh realities, there is surprisingly little research aimed at understanding the mechanisms and ramifications of AIDS stigma. To date, AIDS stigma research has been mostly cross-sectional and descriptive. The stagnated state of AIDS stigma research is at least in part the result of leading stigma researchers not entering into the AIDS arena and an overreliance on theories that date back more than 50 years. [5]