Don’t stigmatise patients

What you need to know:

  • The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said eight in 10 adults with HIV reported isolation, shame, despair and fear of disclosure.
  • Healthcare practitioners need to exercise doctor-patient confidentiality and act professionally to uphold the dignity of the patients seeking their services.
  • Health workers should be at the forefront of the anti-stigma war.

Stigma is a damaging social phenomenon. For people living with HIV, it has negative outcomes on their health, including fear of getting tested for the virus, non-optimal medication adherence and lower visit adherence, which can have detrimental health consequences.

Shockingly, one of the leading places where the cohort is stigmatised is the same place that they ought to run for services when they are in need, begging the question of whether the country wants to erase the gains in reducing new HIV cases.

A study by South African researchers shows HIV patients suffer stigma in healthcare set-ups.

The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said eight in 10 adults with HIV reported isolation, shame, despair and fear of disclosure.

In 2016, Kenya reaffirmed its commitment to end HIV-related stigma and discrimination with a national campaign, “Kick out HIV stigma”.

The campaign aimed at mobilising young people to end HIV stigma and link them to stigma-free HIV testing, treatment and care.

It targeted 10 million youth with HIV messages and provided mentorship to three million, including immediate linkages to treatment for the HIV-positive. 

However, it seems the mission was not met—if HIV-positive people, more so the adolescents, are being victimised in hospital set-ups.

Confidentiality

Healthcare practitioners need to exercise doctor-patient confidentiality and act professionally to uphold the dignity of the patients seeking their services.

They should know the words that have negative meanings for people at risk of or living with HIV and those that empower.

Let them be accommodative and mindful of how words affect them.

Health workers should be at the forefront of the anti-stigma war, openly talking about the subject by correcting the myths and encouraging the patients.

The patients should be inspired to find health facilities as the best place to seek help.