Factors associated with internalized HIV-related stigma among people living with HIV in Thailand

ABSTRACT

Internalized HIV-related stigma (IHS) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) has been documented as one of the factors contributing to the ongoing AIDS epidemic. The purpose of this study, which was conducted from September 2021 to January 2022, was to measure prevalence and identify factors associated with IHS among research participants who were living with HIV recruited from a research clinic in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Participants were considered to have IHS if they agreed to at least one of the 8 items of the newly developed Thai Internalized HIV-related Stigma Scale (Thai-IHSS). Of the 104 participants, 65.4% were female. The median age was 51.5 years and the duration of known HIV infection was 19.0 years. Fifty-three percent of the participants had IHS as defined by the study. Reduced probability of having IHS was independently associated with certain levels of education (middle or high school education compared with no or primary school) (AOR = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.12–0.77) and increased mental health-related quality of life (AOR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.18–0.86). The prevalence of IHS among PLHIV in Chiang Mai was high. These findings highlight the requirement for comprehensive mental health care programs for PLHIV to improve their quality of life.

KEYWORDS:

• Internalized HIV-related stigma
• HIV-related stigma
• PLHIV
• MOS-HIV
• Thailand

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express our gratitude to the research clinic’s staff who helped us tremendously in coordinating the study, gathering the necessary data, and working diligently with us despite their busy schedules. Additionally, The authors would like to thank the participants for their participation and time. This study is supported in part by Chiang Mai University.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Declaration of interest statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Chiang Mai University.