HIV Stigma Reduction Through Peer-Led Advocacy Training.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Science
• Health Disparities

Background:

• HIV-related stigma is prevalent in the U.S. South, negatively impacting health and well-being.
• Stigma can deter people living with HIV (PLWH) from engaging in self-advocacy.
• Effective interventions are needed to address stigma and empower PLWH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the preliminary outcomes of the Leadership, Education, and Advocacy Development (LEAD) workshop.
• To assess the impact of the LEAD workshop on reducing HIV-related stigma and increasing advocacy comfort among PLWH.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-seven PLWH participated in a retreat-style HIV advocacy training across four sites in the U.S. South.
• Participants completed pre- and post-workshop surveys measuring internalized HIV stigma and comfort with advocacy.
• The training incorporated education and skills-building focused on stigma reduction.

Main Results:

• Participation in the LEAD workshop led to a statistically significant reduction in internalized HIV stigma.
• Comfort with engaging in advocacy significantly increased among participants post-workshop.
• Participants expressed a need for continued training and support to enhance advocacy skills.

Conclusions:

• The LEAD workshop demonstrates promise as an intervention for reducing HIV-related stigma among PLWH.
• The training positively impacted self-reported stigma and advocacy confidence.
• Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects and scalability of the LEAD program.