Report: The people living with HIV stigma index – South Africa 2014

Compiled by the Human Sciences Research Council, this stigma index released at the SA AIDS 2015 Conference is the world’s largest study into HIV stigma.

Conducted among about 10,500 people living with HIV in support groups across the country, the survey found that one-third of people living with HIV experienced stigma from their communities.

An equal proportion of survey participants also reported experiencing tuberculosis-related stigma, according to the study commissioned by the South African National AIDS Council.

Levels of internalized stigma, or a sense of shame and inferiority, were also high with more than 40 percent of participants reporting such feelings and the report adds that 11 percent of the study populations also reported thoughts of suicide. Other findings included in the summary report are:

• The three provinces with the highest HIV prevalence, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Free State, also reported the highest levels of stigma;
• Five percent of those surveyed reported that stigma kept them from seeking care;
• 14 percent of study participants reported that internalized stigma led them to forgo marriage or sex.

Download the summary report: Summary Booklet on Stigma Index Survey

Source: Health-e