This course is free and editable. Yours to re-brand and tailor to your needs!
About this course
Even many decades after the emergence of HIV, stigma against people living with the virus persists at alarming levels, with effects on mental health, societal, and treatment outcomes. This course examines the impact of HIV-related stigma, dispels the myths that give rise to it, and provides practical advice on optimizing service delivery to minimize healthcare professional-related stigma.
From the author
People living with HIV experience a lot of stigma, with severe consequences for treatment outcomes and mental health. This course details the impact of stigma and introduces key considerations in dealing with and talking about stigma in HIV. The course is part of the “Test My Knowledge: HIV” programme, providing bite-sized elearning for healthcare professionals who treat or come into contact with people living with HIV, from hospital doctors or nurses to general physicians and programme managers. The programme was created by three leading international experts in HIV – Professor Dr Jürgen Rockstroh (Germany), Dr Nittaya Phanuphak (Thailand) and Dr Tristan Barber (United Kingdom) – to improve knowledge of HIV in the treatment community, combat stigma and improve patient outcomes. This programme was funded through an unrestricted educational grant from Gilead. The sponsor had no influence on the selection of the scientific committee or topics, or on the creation of any content.
What you will learn
- The relationship between undetectable viral load and transmission
- The impact of stigma on treatment adherence and how to mitigate it
- How to support women and mothers with HIV in the face of stigma
- The roots of stigma from healthcare workers and how to combat it
Stigma in HIV Lessons
Click through the microlessons below to preview this course. Each lesson is designed to deliver engaging and effective learning to your team in only minutes.
- About this course
- Stigma against virally suppressed individuals
- Stigma and treatment adherence
- Stigma against women living with HIV
- Stigma from healthcare workers
- Final Quiz
Like what you see?
This course is free and completely editable. Update the text, add your own slides or re-brand the entire course — with our no-code authoring tool, the sky’s the limit!
Follow the interactions on each screen or click the arrows to navigate between lesson slides.
Stigma in HIV course excerpts
Stigma against virally suppressed individuals
Stigma in HIV Course - Lesson Excerpt
Clear, unequivocal education that **U = U ** is critical Misinformation, disbelief, and lack of education/awareness all pose significant barriers to the U=U acceptance Some PLWH groups may not believe the messages Among MSM, belief has been shown to be lowest in those with limited engagement in HIV prevention or treatment services, who report low ART adherence, who are unaware of their HIV status, or who are HIV-negative
Stigma and treatment adherence
Stigma in HIV Course - Lesson Excerpt
What can HCPs do? Ascertaining the impact of different aspects of stigma on an individual may help better tailor support in regards to ART adherence Identifying the most important determinants underlying an individual’s lack of adherence may help target optimal interventions Using a stigma questionnaire can help identify these determinants A good example is the short form of the HIV Stigma Scale
Stigma against women living with HIV
Stigma in HIV Course - Lesson Excerpt
Stigma against women living with HIV (WLWH)
WLWH experience high levels of HIV-related stigma and discrimination from friends, family, community, and often healthcare workers
This impacts on multiple areas of their lives associated with seeking and adhering to treatment for HIV
How does intimate partner violence (IPV) affect the risk of HIV infection in women?
Multiple intersectional issues can exacerbate this problem One such critical intersection is intimate partner violence (IPV) IPV is associated with a 1.2-fold increased risk of HIV infection among women This rises to a 2-fold increase in women experiencing both physical and sexual IPV
Pregnancy is another intersectional factor for WLWH They often need extra support compared with other WLWH, including after delivery The availability of confidential support has a positive impact on adherence to HIV treatment Trained peer support throughout pregnancy and postpartum has been shown to have positive multidimensional impacts on vulnerable woman and results in improve clinical outcomes A multidisciplinary team is recommended to manage the clinical aspects of antenatal and postnatal care, as well as complex psychosocial, psychological, and social issues
Women with HIV often feel a lack of empowerment in the face of gender-related social, cultural, economic, relationship, and institutional inequalities and imbalances Strategies are needed to support and empower WLWH with the aim of reducing HIV infection, improving outcomes, and expanding opportunities, particularly in areas of high HIV endemicity
Stigma from healthcare workers
Stigma in HIV Course - Lesson Excerpt
Which of the following is a reasonable precaution for healthcare workers when treating people living with HIV?
Multiple factors contribute to stigmatizing behaviors among healthcare workers These include limited experience of working with PLWH and personal/religious background However, healthcare workers are more likely to exhibit stigmatizing attitudes if they have limited recent HIV-stigma training Provider education and stigma reduction interventions are therefore important to improve patient care
Inappropriate fear of transmission is at the root of many stigmatizing behaviors Therefore, U = U should be included in all healthcare worker education U = U is the concept that PLWH with undetectable viral load are unable to pass on the virus U = U education should include: Scientific evidence Medical and psychosocial implications Importance of educating all patients
Final Quiz
Let's recap some of the questions we answered in the main course and see if we can remember the answers. On completing this quiz, you will have finished the courseStigma in HIV Course - Lesson Excerpt
Final Quiz
How does intimate partner violence (IPV) affect the risk of HIV infection in women?
Which of the following is a reasonable precaution for healthcare workers when treating people living with HIV?
Course media gallery
Stigma in HIV
Obsidian Healthcare Group
We are a full-service, global Group delivering exceptional healthcare communications and independent medical education