The emotional aspect of AIDS stigma among health professionals in Puerto Rico

People who live with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Puerto Rico have been a vulnerable group for stigmatization. Emotions have been a widely ignored issue in stigma-related research. Emotions influence the way people establish their relationship with their environment, relate to each other and assign social meanings to who and what surrounds them. Therefore, emotions have a vital role in the stigmatization of PLWHA. The main objective of this study was to explore the role of emotions in the process of stigmatization of PLWHA by health professionals and health profession students. We implemented an exploratory and mixed method design integrating semi-structured interviews and self-administered questionnaires. The sample was composed of 501 health professionals and health profession students. Qualitative results evidenced the role of negative emotions, such as fear, pity, disgust and embarrassment, in the stigmatization of PLWHA. Participants also described emotions as phenomena that should be suppressed in order to provide effective services. Quantitative results evidenced the manifestation of negative emotions for most of the situations presented to them related to HIV/AIDS. Emotions manifested in health scenarios can hinder the productive provision of health-related services and therefore should be addressed as part of stigma reduction interventions.