Societal determinants of stigma among people living with HIVAIDS in Dinoyo Village, Malang

Abstract

Background: By February 2022, a total of 59 HIV cases had been identified in the Dinoyo, East Java. The community continues to stigmatise individuals with HIV, exhibiting reluctance to associate with those living with HIV/AIDS and an unwillingness to assist in the bathing and washing of deceased individuals who were affected. Previous study indicates that the emergence of stigma is affected by multiple social determinants, including knowledge, social support, and socio-economic factors. This study evaluates the social determinants that affect community stigma towards People Living With HIV-AIDS.

Method: This study is quantitative and uses a cross-sectional approach. A simple random technique was used to select a sample of 66 individuals who meet the criteria of residing in the same urban region as people living with HV/AIDS, being over 26 years old, and identifying as either male or female. Quantitative examination of data utilising univariate and bivariate tests.

Results: 50% of participants continue to stigmatise People Living With HIV-AIDS, whereas 42.4% of respondents reported lacking sufficient knowledge of HIV-AIDS. Furthermore, the bivariate findings indicated a statistically significant correlation between the degree of knowledge, accessibility of information, assistance from healthcare professionals, and support from community leaders with the stigmatisation of people living with HIV/AIDS (p values = 0.014; 0.046; 0.014; 0.011).

Conclusion: To strategically decrease the stigma of the community towards PLWHA, it is necessary to implement advocacy and community empowerment initiatives that enhance understanding, information availability, and support from health workers and community leaders.

Keywords: PLWHA; Social determinants; Stigma