Stigmatization & Discrimination as Predictors of Self-esteem among People Living with HIV /AIDS in Islamabad

Abstract

Background and Objectives:

Stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS in the public eye refers to society's negative attitudes and beliefs about those living with the virus. Stigmatization can lead to exclusion, shame, and discrimination, which can have a negative impact on self-esteem and well-being of PLHIV. It seeks to determine the association between stigma and self-esteem and assess the correlation between discrimination and self-esteem among people living with HIV/AIDS.

Methods:

Analytical cross-sectional study design with purposive sampling was applied to collect data from 70 PLHIV in Islamabad from September 2022 to October 2023.   Semi-structured questionnaires translated into URDU was used to collect the data through Interview by the researchers themselves. The analysis was done using SPSS version 23.0 while keeping at 5% alpha.

Results:

A statistically significant association between self-esteem and stigma was found (p-value = 0.021). Discrimination from friends and family experienced by PLHIV showed a significant relationship with their self-esteem (p-value = 0.005), while self-discrimination was also significantly associated with self-esteem (p-value = 0.035). An inverse correlation was observed between both self-discrimination and discrimination from friends/family with self-esteem, as indicated by the negative Pearson coefficient.

Conclusion:

Our study  shows a significantly inverse correlation of discrimination (self-discrimination and family/friends discrimination) and stigma with self-esteem of PLHIV. The study also shows that stigma faced by PLHIV has significant effect on self-esteem of PLHIV. It highlights the inverse correlation between discrimination and self-esteem.