Stigma, Depression, Isolation Common Among People With HIV or AIDS

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Stigma, Depression, Isolation Common Among People With HIV or AIDS

July 27, 2010 (Vienna, Austria) — Three decades into the AIDS pandemic,

HIV-positive patients continue to experience disease-related stigma, depression,

and isolation, according to an international survey of more than 2000 people

presented here at AIDS 2010: XVIII International AIDS Conference.

Nearly half of all the respondents said they had encountered someone who was

afraid to have casual contact with them because of their infection with HIV or

AIDS, and 1 in 4 reported that someone would not kiss them or share food or

drink with them. These reactions to people with HIV/AIDS reflect still

relatively widespread beliefs in many countries that HIV or AIDS is easily

transmitted through everyday activities, and that people with HIV or AIDS should

be avoided, researchers noted.

Although 96% of the respondents said they had disclosed their HIV or AIDS status

to at least 1 other person, 17% in a long-term relationship admitted they had

not told their spouse or partner.

The findings come from the AIDS Treatment for Life International Survey 2010,

which looked at attitudes and perceptions of HIV among 2035 HIV-positive people

in 12 countries on 5 continents. The main goals of the survey were to observe

how people around the world live with HIV infection and AIDS, how social and

cultural factors affect their lives, and how patients interact with their

primary healthcare providers.

These issues are important because they " globally affect HIV prevention,

testing, care, and treatment, " said Suniti , MD, who reported the

findings in an oral abstract session.

" An environment of tolerance in which an individual can take an HIV test and

live with an HIV diagnosis is of paramount importance to effective HIV

prevention and treatment programs at local and national levels, " said Dr.

, who is director of the Y.R. Gaitonde Center for AIDS Research and

Education in Chennai, India.

The survey also found that 64% of the patients had at least 1 comorbidity,

including sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and hepatitis C; 26% of

the patients had 3 or more comorbidities. About 50% of all the respondents also

said they had discussed depression with their healthcare providers.

The information was obtained through 20-minute telephone or face-to-face

interviews or over the Internet. To be included in the survey, participants had

to be at least 18 years old, diagnosed with HIV or AIDS by a primary healthcare

provider, and have taken antiretroviral therapy (ART) within the last 5 years.

All in all, 53% of the respondents had been on ART for more than 5 years, and

97% were currently on an ART regimen.

More than 1 in 3 — 37% — of all the participants agreed with the statement, " I

often feel alone and isolated because I have HIV or AIDS, " including 52% of the

respondents in Asia-Pacific regions, 42% in North America, and 41% in Latin

America. People in Asia-Pacific countries appeared to feel especially isolated,

with 40% saying their friends and families did not really understand HIV or

AIDS, and 43% saying they felt like a burden to their families and friends — the

highest percentages of patients agreeing with those statements.

" Many of us who work with AIDS patients knew this instinctively, but it's

disheartening to see [these problems] quantified in this way, " said Guinn

Delaney, regional HIV and AIDS advisor with the Regional Bureau for Education in

Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Educational, Scientific,

and Cultural Organization. " It certainly gives us an idea of how much more work

we have left to do, " said Ms. Delaney, who was not involved in the research.

ATLIS 2010 was funded by Merck & Co, Inc, on behalf of the International

Association of Physicians in AIDS Care. It was conducted by Kantar Health, a

healthcare marketing company. Neither Dr. nor Ms. Delaney has disclosed

any relevant financial relationships.

AIDS 2010: XVIII International AIDS Conference: Abstract THLBD104. Presented

July 22, 2010.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/725819