HIV-related Stigma in Rural and Tribal Communities of Maharashtra, India.
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Date
2012-12
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Abstract
Stigma is a recognized barrier to early detection of HIV and causes great suffering for those affected. This paper
examines HIV-related stigma in rural and tribal communities of Maharashtra, an area of relatively high
HIV prevalence in India. The study used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to compare adult
women and adolescents in a rural area, women in a rural area, and women in a tribal area. The respondents
included 494 married women and 186 adolescents in a rural community and 49 married women in six
tribal villages. HIV-related stigma was prevalent in all communities and was the highest among tribal and
older respondents. High-risk behaviour was reported in both areas, accompanied with denial of personal
risk. Our findings suggest that HIV may be spreading silently in these communities. To our knowledge,
this is the first community-based study to make an in-depth assessment of HIV-related stigma in rural and
tribal areas of India. By situating our findings within the broader discourse on stigma in the national and
state-level data, this study helps explain the nature and persistence of stigma and how to address it more
effectively among subcultural groups in India.
Description
Keywords
Community, HIV-related stigma, Rural health, Tribal, India
Citation
Vlassoff Carol, Weiss Mitchell G, Rao Shobha, Ali Firdaus, Prentice Tracey. HIV-related Stigma in Rural and Tribal Communities of Maharashtra, India. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition. 2012 Dec; 30(4): 394-403.