Abstract:

Stigma and Quality of life in Africa American Women Living with HIV Infection through the lens of intersectionality Alphoncina John Kaihura

African American Women (AAW) experience the trifecta of intersections: Black, female, and living with HIV infection at a disproportionately higher rate compared to other women. Yet, little is known about these intersections on the stigmatizing and quality of life (QOL) experiences of AAW living with HIV infection. The purposes of this secondary research were to describe HIV stigma and QOL, explore the association between HIV stigma and QOL, and determine the influence of social (age, education, income, and partner status) and health (CD4 count, comorbidities, and emergency department admission) contextual factors on HIV stigma and QOL in a sample of 169 AAW with HIV infection living in Cleveland, OH and the San Francisco Bay Area, CA.

Results are discussed through the lens of intersectionality and Black feminism: The sample was a middle-aged group of AA mothers who were low-income, not partnered, educated beyond high school, or public health insurance, unemployed, and lived in permanent housing. They reported a moderate level of HIV QOL and stigma. Partnered, college education women with less comorbidities reported better QOL, particularly for life satisfaction. Regardless of social background and health issues, women felt stigmatized by their community and healthcare professionals. HIV-QOL (disclosure of HIV, burden of HIV medications, and life satisfaction) was associated with HIV –stigma. Results of regression analyses of the social and health predictors of stigma and QOL indicate women with less comorbidities reported less personal and public stigma: and college-education women reported better overall QOL, better health, and less burden of taking HIV medication.

Concussion: Are stigma can be a major obstacle for HIV /AIDS prevention and treatment; and social support such as having a partner or being married, having a college education, and limited comorbidities can be have a positive effect on QOL and stigma. This study addressed a gap in science by considering social and health characteristics on stigma and QOL as perceived by AAW living with HIV/AIDS infection. These findings may help in the development of HIV/ AIDS health education interventions and policies that are holistic, gender-appropriate, culturally acceptable, and address the unique personal, social, and health concerns of and support needed by AAW.