Addressing Perceived Stigma About Taking HIV Preventive Medication
Key to Helping Women at Risk
Stigma is an important contributor to the continued HIV epidemic in the United States. While pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medication that can be taken to prevent HIV infection, previous research has shown that a barrier preventing gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men from using PrEP is fear that partners, family members or community members would believe that those who use PrEP are HIV infected. Less is known, however, about these factors among women.
While women make up nearly one in five of all new HIV infections, PrEP is largely underutilized by women who are at risk for infection and little is known about the role of stigma among women. A new study that includes a team from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) and the New York Blood Center (Drs. Hong Van Tieu and Victoria Frye in the Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention) advances scientific knowledge about how stigma about PrEP use may affect whether or not a woman at elevated risk for HIV infection is interested in starting PrEP.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the study surveyed 160 women aged 18–55 years in Philadelphia and New York City, cities which have high HIV infection rates. The researchers used a scale developed specifically for women that includes an item of particular sociohistorical importance to people of color, low-income women and other marginalized groups of women. Higher stigma about PrEP use, but not stigma about HIV, was significantly associated with lower intention to start PrEP by the women who participated in the study.
The study recommends different ways to design behavioral interventions that specifically address PrEP stigma among women. They include:
- Expand public messaging to increase PrEP awareness and knowledge among women;
- Include messaging that addresses the role of PrEP stigma and challenges stereotyped beliefs about women PrEP users; and
- Design interventions that integrate stigma reduction at the individual and community levels.
Stigma and Health
PrEP Stigma, HIV Stigma, and Intention to Use PrEP Among Women in New York City and Philadelphia
Deepti Chittamuru, Victoria Frye, Beryl A. Koblin, Bridgette Brawner, Hong-Van Tieu, Annet Davis, and Anne M. Teitelman
Online First Publication, October 31, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/sah0000194
CITATION
Chittamuru, D., Frye, V., Koblin, B. A., Brawner, B., Tieu, H.-V., Davis, A., & Teitelman, A. M. (2019, October 31). PrEP Stigma, HIV Stigma, and Intention to Use PrEP Among Women in New York City and Philadelphia. Stigma and Health. Advance online publication.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/sah0000194
This research was supported by a grant to Anne Teitelman (Principal Investigator), Bridgette Brawner, Hong Van Tieu and Annet Davis from the National Institute of Mental Health (1R34-R34 MH108437-01A1) with additional support from the Penn Center for AIDS Research (P30 AI 045008), and to Victoria Frye from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (1R21 AI122996-01).