Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: Report of a pilot project to assess the extent of HIV/AIDS-related stigma surrounding mother-to-child transmission.
For some time now, HIV/AIDS-related stigma has been a major stumbling block in addressing all aspects of HIV prevention, treatment and care across the globe. Undertaking a more systematic analysis of the nature of such stigma, its forms and determinants in different societies and contexts, can assist policymakers and non governmental organisations in ensuring that initiatives aimed at reducing stigma are integral to HIV and AIDS programme planning. This pilot research initiative was conducted in four countries in different geographical regions: India (South Asia), Ukraine (Eastern Europe), Burkina Faso (Francophone West Africa) and Zambia (Anglophone Southern Africa). The specific aims of the project were to assess and provide an initial analysis of the extent of perceived and enacted stigma, consider stigma in general and, more specifically, that surrounding mother-to-child transmission, and to explore what steps might be taken to alleviate it. In all research sites examples of stigma were numerous. Whilst there were many similarities in its causes and manifestations, there were also clear contextual differences. Women throughout the research were subjected to stigma as women, as HIV-positive women and as HIV-positive women who are pregnant and/or have children. Stigma was reported everywhere to be more extensively directed against women than against men. Stigma surrounding mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) prevents women coming forward for testing, reduces their choices in terms of health care and family life once they are known to be HIV-positive, and negatively impacts on their quality of life. A number of recommendations were identified by the research to reduce the impact of stigma in general. Strengthening the legal framework to protect the human rights of people with HIV/AIDS was seen as paramount. Simultaneously, communities need to be empowered to understand and use policy and the law to obtain the care and support they require. In addition it was considered vital to create supportive environments to reduce stigma through national and community-based communication initiatives to combat fear and misinformation; to improve community based self-help services for people living with HIV/AIDS; and to increase accessibility to affordable antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. The research highlighted the importance of prevention of MTCT programmes being integral to broad based preventive, education, care and support programmes and that there should be more direct focus on the mothers and fathers of potentially infected infants. The limited resources within communities to cope with HIV/AIDS and the current inadequacies of many health care systems to provide care and support must be taken into account. Also illustrated was how the rights and choices of HIV-positive women are repeatedly ignored or denied, that the policy framework to support their rights is weak and that their needs are almost always secondary to those of others in the community.