Table 1 Examples of interventions to tackle HIV stigma in healthcare, community, and legislative settings
Stigma source | Interventions |
|---|---|
Healthcare settings | |
HCPs | • Stigma-reduction education and training • Soft-skills training • Training on the delivery of an evidence-based U = U message • Best-practice sharing, including sharing with universities and student associations of medical schools • Patient-centred approaches to care delivery, such as telehealth and self-testing at home • Routine testing for the public to reduce stigma associated with getting an HIV test • Leaflets and posters in clinics • Identifying effective interventions using the HIV Stigma Scale or other appropriate assessments • Involvement of marginalized communities in the development of educational materials and anti-stigma training • Reduction in rural/urban differences in stigma-reduction education and training |
Community settings | |
Public | • National and local education campaigns, in collaboration with NGOs, via marketing and media, with clear and concise communications • Promotion of the U = U message via the media and mobile phones, and at events and speeches • Stories and education shared by celebrities, artists, and key influencers • Anti-stigma campaigns via social media • Education campaigns to reduce the opinion that HIV only affects MSM or PWID • Reduction in rural/urban differences by dispelling misconceptions about HIV in rural communities through education campaigns |
Employers | • Education and legal protection training |
Police | • Education and training days |
Parents | • Education through marketing and media campaigns • Education from schools |
Schools | • Education on HIV in the context of sexual health as part of the school curriculum, delivered by members of NGOs, trained HCPs, or well-trained teachers if appropriate • HIV education training programmes for teachers • Promotion of non-discriminatory use of language in educational materials |
Religious groups | • Engagement with religious leaders to improve education and inclusivity for PLWH |
Internalized stigma | • Community-based apps providing a safe and private platform to share stories • Leaflets from HCPs |
Legislative settings | |
Laws | • Advocation against discriminatory or unfavourable legislation, policies, and practices that target PLWH or marginalized communities • Campaigns for the decriminalization of HIV transmission and sex work • Promotion of non-discriminatory use of language in legislation |
Legal aid | • Legal counselling services to address a lack of legal aid for PLWH and for marginalized communities |
Politicians and policymakers | • Advocation for state support in anti-stigma programmes and services • Engagement with political leaders to improve inclusivity of PLWH in legislation and budgets • Campaigns for policy change within institutions, such as universities and workplaces |