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HIV Stigma Among a National Probability Sample of Adults with Diagnosed HIV—United States, 2018–2019

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Abstract

HIV stigma is a barrier to achieving the goals of the US Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. We analyzed data from the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) collected during 6/2018–5/2019 from 4050 US adults with diagnosed HIV. We reported national estimates of HIV stigma and assessed their associations with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Disclosure concerns and stigma related to negative public attitudes were common. Stigma was higher among younger age groups, women and transgender people, Black and Hispanic/Latino men and women, and Black and Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men. Stigma was associated with lower antiretroviral therapy use and adherence, missed HIV care visits, and symptoms of depression or anxiety. The estimates presented provide a benchmark from which the nation can monitor its progress. The findings suggest the need for enhanced stigma-reduction efforts among specific groups and the importance of addressing stigma around disclosure and community attitudes.

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Acknowledgements

We thank MMP participants, project area staff, and Provider and Community Advisory Board members. We also acknowledge the contributions of the Clinical Outcomes Team and Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance Branch at CDC. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Funding for the Medical Monitoring Project is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, MS-E46, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Linda Beer, Yunfeng Tie, Donna Hubbard McCree, Hanna B. Demeke, Ruthanne Marcus, Mabel Padilla, George Khalil & R. Luke Shouse

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MMP data collection is part of routine public health surveillance and was determined to be non-research.

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Informed consent was obtained from all interviewed participants.

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Beer, L., Tie, Y., McCree, D.H. et al. HIV Stigma Among a National Probability Sample of Adults with Diagnosed HIV—United States, 2018–2019. AIDS Behav 26 (Suppl 1), 39–50 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-021-03414-6

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