Issues Affecting HIV-Positive Women Who Attend Community Care Centers in Kerala, India: Practitioners’ Accounts of Stigma

Abstract

This research identifies the psychosocial needs of HIV-positive women attending two of the newly established Community Care Centres in Kerala, as recounted by the health care practitioners of those services. Findings include the complex and devastating impacts of the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS on women's lives, including their avoidance of health care due to fear of disclosure and the denial of their children's access to education. The report suggests that further research into the linkages between the different stakeholders, to fully exploit the successful strategies employed by each to combat the stigma, may well be beneficial in addressing one of the most damaging and pervasive challenges of the disease.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV-infected women
• stigma
• psychosocial health
• Community Care Centres
• Kerala

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank the staff of Saint John's Health Centre and Amrita Kripa Sagar Care Centre for their participation. We would also like to thank Dr. Thomas Koilparamil, Dr. Rita Cross (Joint Director, Care and Support, Kerala State AIDS Control Society, India—Associate Researcher), Nicole Rawson-Huff, and Dr. Tania Signal for their contributions to the study. The data were collected at CQ University, and the analysis and writing of the manuscript were completed at Griffith University, with the support of Dr. Ricki Jeffery, Centacare Rockhampton, Australia.