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AIDS and Behavior
Published in: AIDS and Behavior 9/2017

01-09-2017 | Original Paper

Gender, HIV Testing and Stigma: The Association of HIV Testing Behaviors and Community-Level and Individual-Level Stigma in Rural South Africa Differ for Men and Women

Authors: Sarah Treves-Kagan, Alison M. El Ayadi, Audrey Pettifor, Catherine MacPhail, Rhian Twine, Suzanne Maman, Dean Peacock, Kathleen Kahn, Sheri A. Lippman

Published in: AIDS and Behavior | Issue 9/2017

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Abstract

Stigma remains a significant barrier to HIV testing in South Africa. Despite being a social construct, most HIV-stigma research focuses on individuals; further the intersection of gender, testing and stigma is yet to be fully explored. We examined the relationship between anticipated stigma at individual and community levels and recent testing using a population-based sample (n = 1126) in Mpumalanga, South Africa. We used multi-level regression to estimate the potential effect of reducing community-level stigma on testing uptake using the g-computation algorithm. Men tested less frequently (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14–0.33) and reported more anticipated stigma (OR 5.1, 95% CI 2.6–10.1) than women. For men only, testing was higher among those reporting no stigma versus some (OR 1.40, 95% CI 0.97–2.03; p = 0.07). For women only, each percentage point reduction in community-level stigma, the likelihood of testing increased by 3% (p < 0.01). Programming should consider stigma reduction in the context of social norms and gender to tailor activities appropriately.
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Metadata
Title
Gender, HIV Testing and Stigma: The Association of HIV Testing Behaviors and Community-Level and Individual-Level Stigma in Rural South Africa Differ for Men and Women
Authors
Sarah Treves-Kagan
Alison M. El Ayadi
Audrey Pettifor
Catherine MacPhail
Rhian Twine
Suzanne Maman
Dean Peacock
Kathleen Kahn
Sheri A. Lippman
Publication date
01-09-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
AIDS and Behavior / Issue 9/2017
Print ISSN: 1090-7165
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3254
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1671-8

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