Patterns of stigmatization and discrimination among HIV positive clients attending the aids support organization (aso) clinic- Mbarara, Uganda
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Date
2010-08
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Publisher
Kampala international international: School of Health Sciences
Abstract
Background HIV I AIDS associated stigma and discrimination is now a public health challenge of global dimension. The objectives of this study were to establish and analyze different levels of HIV related stigma and discrimination. Methodology This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 260 HIV positive registered clients attending T ASO Mbarara Clinic in the last six months selected using systematic random sampling. Both structured questionnaires and focus group discussion were used to collected data. Results Females constituted 57.3% and males 42.7%. The majority of respondents 41.9% were married and the least I .3% were widowers. The mean age of respondents’ was36 years, maximum age 63, and minimum I5 years. Eighty nine percent of clients had disclosed HIV sero status and 10.4% had not. Nine percent of clients reported having been denied employment because of sero status and 37.7% did not feel comfortable being treated at home. Factors responsible for stigma and discrimination include; poor attitude of health workers, poverty, lack of sensitization among others. 37.7% of respondents don't feel comfortable being treated at home and 30.4% don't feel free talking about their sero status. Findings also reveal that there is no relationship between gender and HIV sero status disclosure (p>0.05) but a strong relationship between talking about their sero status freely and marital status (p<0.05). Conclusion There is need for more sensitization, awareness, HIV counselling and testing and economic empowerment in the area of HIV care and management so as to achieve the millennium development goal of HIV prevention and reduction of HIV related stigma and discrimination
Description
A post-graduate thesis submitted to the department of public health, school of allied health sciences, Kampala international university, Western campus, Uganda in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of masters of public health (mph, degree)
Keywords
Public health, Patterns of stigmatization a, Discrimination, HIV positive clients, Aids support organization (Taso), Mbarara, Uganda