Kathleen Hagerty Provost | Northwestern University
Persistence of stigma towards individuals living with HIV continues to perplex scientists, despite numerous destigmatization campaigns in the United States over the past four decades. Historically, stigma has been attributed to legal exclusion and criminalization of people with HIV, as well as overlap between LGBTQ+ populations and those who are HIV-positive.
A new study from Northwestern University introduces a different perspective on this enduring issue by suggesting that associating HIV with morality may be a contributing factor. Lead author Shahin Davoudpour explained, “We talked about this idea that the stigma will be persistent when there is an ethical component to it.” He added, “It makes sense theoretically; when people think something is your fault, they’re more likely to continue to blame you for it and think they need to distance themselves from you.”
The research paper was published in Public Health Ethics and utilizes data from the 2021 and 2022 waves of the General Social Survey (GSS), which assesses demographics and attitudes. The findings suggest that individuals who strongly associate HIV with immoral activities are over 13 times more likely to reject proximity to people with HIV compared to those who do not share this belief.
Interestingly, factors such as beliefs about same-sex sexual activity and awareness of discrimination against people with HIV did not account for these findings during analysis. Davoudpour noted a lack of quantitative data regarding morality's role in stigma, which he addressed using complex data analysis techniques on existing survey data.
Despite limitations inherent in working with pre-existing data sets, Davoudpour aims to conduct further studies with refined measures related to behavioral ethics concerning HIV. In the interim, he encourages implementation scientists and advocates aiming to end HIV-related stigma to incorporate these findings into their strategies.
The researchers concluded by advising scientists and policymakers: “Specifically, we encourage scientists and policymakers to consider the role of moral perceptions when redesigning their messaging campaigns, emphasizing the dissociation of HIV from morality.” They also suggested exploring how perceptions of individual agency and morality could enhance interventions aimed at reducing HIV stigma.