Hiv-Related Stigma, Discrimination And Coping Strategies Among People Living With Hiv/Aids Receiving Treatment At The University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Stigma complicates the prevention and control of HIV worldwide as it adversely affects the care seeking practices among People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). In Nigeria HIV stigmarelated practices experienced by PLWHA have not been adequately investigated. This study therefore focused on HIV-related stigma, discrimination and coping mechanisms among PLWHA receiving treatment at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional survey. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select 700 consenting clients at President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief clinic UCH. A semistructured questionnaire which included questions on stigma-related and discriminatory experiences, perceived consequences and coping strategies was used for data collection. Indepth Interviews (IDI), were conducted among eight consenting respondents who had experienced serious HIV-related stigma and discrimination such as loss of job, divorce and marital separation. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic approach. Respondents’ mean age was 40.0 ± 9.4 years, 60.8% were married, 67.7% were females, and 56.2% were traders. Majority (78.1%) had ever experienced self-stigmatization as a result of their HIV sero-positive status with 27.0% experiencing it within the three months preceding the study. A major indicator of self-stigmatization was the unwillingness to disclose HIV seropositive status to family members (53.7%) and to friends (69.3%). Significantly more females (56.3%) than males (48.7%) were scared of disclosing their HIV positive status to family members (p