Experience of Stigmatization and Coping in People who live with HIV

Abstract

This study was aimed at widening the understanding of how subjects experience HIV seropositivity from its diagnosis by detecting the coping strategies used by HIV-positive adults and correlating them with that populations perception of their stigmatization. For this cross-sectional, correlational and ex post facto study, 50 female and 50 male subjects, all dwelling in Salvador (Bahia, Brazil), were characterized and assessed by means of the Stigmatization Scale for HIV-Positive Subjects and the Brazilian version of the Ways of Coping Scale (EMEP). Descriptive statistical analyses and correlations among variables were carried out. Problem-focused coping was found to be more employed than the emotion-focused one, being the latter directly related to higher levels of stigmatization experience. Significant gender differences were also found with female subjects experiencing more stigmatization, using more emotion-focused coping, seeking religion/fantasies, searching for social support. Those who work directly with seropositivity-oriented actions were shown to have lower levels of stigmatization experience and less emotion-focused coping, which reinforces the hypothesis that, in addition to dealing with their somatic status, HIV positive subjects need to cope with stigmatization issues, which may make it difficult to face the situation in a more active way.