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HIV-Related Stigma Among Black Mothers in Two North American and One African Cities

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Abstract

HIV-related stigma is a negative attitude or behaviour towards persons living with HIV, and is detrimental to effective care, management, and treatment of HIV. Using a revised 10-item stigma scale, we compared levels of HIV-related stigma and its correlates among Black women living with HIV in Ottawa, Canada, and Miami, FL, USA, with those in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. HIV-related stigma scores were calculated, with a maximum score of 10 and averaged 4.71 in Ottawa, 5.06 in Miami, and 3.78 in Port Harcourt. No significant difference in HIV-related stigma scores between Ottawa and Miami. HIV-related stigma was significantly (p < 0.05) higher among women in the North American cities compared with women in the African city. Hierarchical linear modelling shows that psychosocial variables contributed to variations in HIV-related stigma in Ottawa (22.3%), Miami (36.3%), and Port Harcourt (14.1%). At p < 0.05, discrimination was a significant predictor of increased HIV-related stigma in Ottawa (β = 0.077), Miami (β = 0.092), and Port Harcourt (β = 0.068). Functional social support had a significant diminishing effect on HIV-related stigma in Miami (β = − 0.108) and Port Harcourt (β = − 0.035). Tackling HIV-related sigma requires sociocultural considerations within specific regional and national contexts.

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Data Availability

Data analysis activities are currently underway. To request access to study data, please contact JE, the principal investigator for the project.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Infection and Immunity, Grant No. 144831. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada

    Josephine Etowa, Egbe B. Etowa & J. Craig Phillips

  2. Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Jean Hannan

  3. Centre for Health and Development, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

    Seye Babatunde

  4. Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Carleton University Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

    Paul Mkandawire

Authors
  1. Josephine Etowa
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  2. Jean Hannan
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  3. Seye Babatunde
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  4. Egbe B. Etowa
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  5. Paul Mkandawire
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  6. J. Craig Phillips
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Correspondence to Josephine Etowa.

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Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate

The study was approved by the Health Sciences and Science Research Ethics Board at the University of Ottawa (certificate #H08–16-27), the Carleton University Research Ethics Board-A (CUREB-A, certificate #106300), the Social and Behavioural Institutional Review Board at Florida International University (certificate #105160), and the Research Ethics Committee at the University of Port Harcourt (certificate #UPH/CEREMAD/REC/04). Additionally, permission was obtained from each of the community partner sites where participants were recruited.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Etowa, J., Hannan, J., Babatunde, S. et al. HIV-Related Stigma Among Black Mothers in Two North American and One African Cities. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 7, 1130–1139 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00736-4

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