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Review
. 2021 May-Jun;32(3):392-407.
doi: 10.1097/JNC.0000000000000237.

A Review of the State of the Science of HIV and Stigma: Context, Conceptualization, Measurement, Interventions, Gaps, and Future Priorities

Michael V Relf  1 , William L Holzemer, Lauren Holt, Laura Nyblade, Courtney Ellis Caiola
Affiliations
Review

A Review of the State of the Science of HIV and Stigma: Context, Conceptualization, Measurement, Interventions, Gaps, and Future Priorities

Michael V Relf et al. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2021 May-Jun.

Abstract

Stigma is a fundamental cause of health inequities. As such, stigma is a major barrier to HIV prevention, care, and treatment. This review will examine the concept of stigma, explicating the mechanisms of action of HIV-related stigma while also examining intersectional stigma and structural stigma. Instruments to measure HIV-related stigma and its mechanisms of action, as well as stigma enacted and experienced by HIV health care providers, will also be reviewed. This article will conclude with a review of stigma interventions, gaps in the literature, and priorities for future HIV, intersectional, and structural stigma research.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures

The authors report no real or perceived vested interests related to this article that could be construed as a conflict of interest. As with all peer-reviewed manuscripts published in JANAC, this article was reviewed by two impartial reviewers in a double-blind review process. One of JANAC’s associate editors handled the review process for the paper, and the Editor-in-Chief, Michael Relf, and Editorial Assistant, Lauren Holt, had no access to the paper in their roles as editors or reviewers.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Conceptual framework for HIV-related stigma, engagement in care, and health outcomes. Note. Reprinted with permission. Turan, B., Hatcher, A. M., Weiser, S. D., Johnson, M. O., Rice, W. S., & Turan, J. M. (2017). Framing mechanisms linking HIV-related stigma, adherence to treatment, and health outcomes. American Journal of Public Health, 107(6), 863–869. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.303744 The Sheridan Press.
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