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AIDS and Behavior
Published in: AIDS and Behavior 4/2017

01-04-2017 | Original Paper

The Role of Internalized Stigma in the Disclosure of Injecting Drug Use Among People Who Inject Drugs and Self-Report as HIV-Positive in Kohtla-Järve, Estonia

Authors: Annika Johannson, Sigrid Vorobjov, Robert Heimer, John F. Dovidio, Anneli Uusküla

Published in: AIDS and Behavior | Issue 4/2017

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Abstract

Disclosure of injecting drug use and its associations with stigma have received very little research attention. This cross-sectional study examined the role of internalized HIV and drug stigma (i.e., self-stigmatization) in the disclosure of injecting drug use among people who inject drugs (PWID) self-reporting as HIV-positive (n = 312) in Kohtla-Järve, Estonia. The internalization of both stigmas was relatively high. On average, PWID disclosed to three disclosure targets out of seven. Disclosure was highest to close friends and health care workers and lowest to employers and casual sex partners. Internalized drug stigma was negatively associated with disclosure to other family members (AOR = 0.48; 95% CI 0.30–0.77) and health care workers (AOR = 0.46; 95% CI 0.25–0.87). Internalized HIV stigma was positively associated with disclosure to health care workers (AOR = 2.26; 95% CI 1.27–4.00). No interaction effect of internalized stigmas on disclosures emerged. We concluded that effects of internalized stigmas on disclosures are few and not uniform.
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Metadata
Title
The Role of Internalized Stigma in the Disclosure of Injecting Drug Use Among People Who Inject Drugs and Self-Report as HIV-Positive in Kohtla-Järve, Estonia
Authors
Annika Johannson
Sigrid Vorobjov
Robert Heimer
John F. Dovidio
Anneli Uusküla
Publication date
01-04-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
AIDS and Behavior / Issue 4/2017
Print ISSN: 1090-7165
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3254
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1647-8

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