Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026
11:14
Ex Vivo Infection of Human Lymphoid Tissue and Female Genital Mucosa with Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 and Histoculture
Published on: October 12, 2018
Longitudinal Correlates of Internalized HIV Stigma Among Ugandan PLWH
Nipher Malika1, Laura M Bogart2, Harold D Green3
1RAND, 1776 Main St., Santa Monica, CA, 90401, USA. nmalika@rand.org.
AIDS and Behavior
|June 23, 2026
Summary
Internalized HIV stigma negatively impacts people living with HIV (PLWH) in Uganda. Younger age and lower trust in social networks predict increased stigma over time.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Epidemiology
- Psychology
Background:
- Internalized HIV stigma, negative self-perceptions by people living with HIV (PLWH), hinders HIV prevention and care in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Understanding factors influencing internalized stigma is crucial for improving health outcomes in high-burden settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the longitudinal correlates of internalized HIV stigma among PLWH in Uganda.
- To identify predictors of increased internalized stigma over an 18-month period.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study with 105 participants in Uganda.
- Surveys conducted at baseline, 6, 12, and 18-month follow-ups.
- Lagged repeated measures regression models analyzed relationships between variables.
Main Results:
- Younger participant age, younger network member age, and lower network trust were associated with increased internalized stigma.
- Participant age and network trust remained significant predictors in multivariate analysis.
- Findings highlight the role of social environment in stigma dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Interventions should focus on fostering supportive and trustworthy social networks for PLWH.
- Addressing multi-level predictors of stigma is essential for effective HIV care strategies.
- Reducing internalized stigma can improve health outcomes for PLWH in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Amebiasis
Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
01:26Sexually Transmitted Infections
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases transmitted primarily through unsafe sexual interactions. Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause them and can result in severe health complications if untreated.ChlamydiaThe bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for the disease Chlamydia, the most common STI in the United States. This peculiar pathogen requires human cells to reproduce, residing intracellularly. The initial infection often goes unnoticed because it typically does not...
01:21Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Social psychology examines how the real or imagined presence of others influences individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A key concept in this field is the role of social context in shaping behavior. The same individual may act differently depending on the social setting, due to the varying expectations and norms associated with each environment. This context-dependent behavior illustrates the influence of social roles, which prescribe appropriate conduct in specific situations.Social...
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...
02:09Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies
When we hold a stereotype about a person, we have expectations that he or she will fulfill that stereotype. A self-fulfilling prophecy is an expectation held by a person that alters his or her behavior in a way that tends to make it true. When we hold stereotypes about a person, we tend to treat the person according to our expectations. This treatment can influence the person to act according to our stereotypic expectations, thus confirming our stereotypic beliefs. Research by Rosenthal and...
02:20Longitudinal Research
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...