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Stigma, Discrimination and Living with HIV/AIDS pp 169–186Cite as

HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination in Puerto Rico: The Role of Sympathy on Attitudes Toward Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

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Abstract

As the number of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) continues to increase in Puerto Rico, it becomes increasingly important to address the issues of stigma and other discriminatory attitudes. This chapter presents the findings of my study which examined the attitudes toward PLWHA of a large sample of women living in public housing in Puerto Rico, including sympathy and support for PLWHA in the workplace and in school. A total of 1,138 women completed a self-administered 218-item survey made up of questions that measured HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Levels of sympathy varied depending upon the target group, with HIV-infected drug users receiving the least sympathy. Most women reported that HIV-positive teachers should be allowed to teach and that HIV-positive children should be allowed to attend school. However, a significantly lower percentage reported that HIV-infected nurses should be allowed to continue working. Women who were more sympathetic toward PLWHA were more tolerant of PLWHA in the workplace and school, while those with inaccurate knowledge concerning HIV transmission were less tolerant. Also, those who knew a PLWHA were more tolerant. Levels of discriminatory attitudes in Puerto Rico are high and warrant both individual- and societal-level interventions.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge that this study was sponsored by NCRR Grant U54RR19507. These analyses have been published previously in the journal AIDS Care, with the following reference: Norman, L.R., Abreu, S., Candelaria, E., and Sala, A. (2009). The effect of sympathy on discriminatory attitudes toward persons living with HIV/AIDS in Puerto Rico: A hierarchical analysis of women living in public housing. AIDS Care, 21(2), 140–149. This project was part of the Puerto Rico Comprehensive Center for the Study of HIV Disparities (PR-CCHD), as a collaborative effort of the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, the Universidad Central del Caribe, School of Medicine, and the Ponce School of Medicine. I also want to thank Bob Ritchie from the RCMI Program Publications Office (Grant #2 G12 RR003050-­21) for his contribution to the editing of the manuscript. Lastly, I want to thank the staff of the public housing developments for assisting us in conducting our research and the females who volunteered to partake in the research study.

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  1. Public Health Program, Ponce School of Medicine, Ponce, 00732, Puerto Rico

    Lisa R. Norman Ph.D.

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  1. Lisa R. Norman Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Lisa R. Norman Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, 3086, Victoria, Australia

    Pranee Liamputtong

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Norman, L.R. (2013). HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination in Puerto Rico: The Role of Sympathy on Attitudes Toward Persons Living with HIV/AIDS. In: Liamputtong, P. (eds) Stigma, Discrimination and Living with HIV/AIDS. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6324-1_10

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