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Volume 5, Issue 3 (Suppl)

Occup Med Health Aff, an open access journal

ISSN:2329-6879

Occupational Health-2017

September 13-14, 2017

September 13-14, 2017 | Dallas, USA

Occupational Health & Safety

International Conference and Exhibition on

Occup Med Health Aff 2017, 5:3 (Suppl)

DOI: 10.4172/2329-6879-C1-035

The lived experiences of filipino males with HIV dealing with stigma

Ryan M Empleo

MDCC, Philippines

ccording to most people living with HIV, one of the main reasons why there is little knowledge about HIV in the country is

the growing stigma and connotation with the disease. The moment people hear the terms HIV and AIDS, people think of the

entities as negative and disgusting. These topics are taboo and should not be discussed freely in the normal Filipino family setting. The

people also have discriminatingly biased connection between HIV/AIDS and homosexuality. People believe that if a man develops

HIV/AIDS, he is homosexual or has been engaged in homosexual activities. This pre conceived notion about the disease somewhat

contributed to the existing fear of PWHAs. Therefore, their feelings and ideas regarding this concern are not properly verbalized and

addressed. This stigma creates a boundary separating health care providers and the PWHAs, and thus resulting to inefficient health

care delivery. This is the primary reason for conducting this study- to use the experiences of the participants themselves as lens in

defining what HIV-related stigma is. By defining it, necessary actions to reduce it or if possible to completely eliminate it can be

taken. By destroying the stigma, positive and negative people alike can work harmoniously together in fighting HIV/AIDS in general.

This research is a qualitative descriptive study that utilized phenomenology as a technique. This study explored the lived experiences

of Filipino males by selecting 6 participants through purposive sampling. Data collection were done through triangulation using

in-depth interview as main data source supported by field notes and observation. The data that was gathered were analyzed using

Colaizzi Phenomenological technique. After translating, coding and interpreting the data. 10 general themes were formed namely:

HIV equated to death, denial leading to non disclosure, depression: feeling of sadness and worthlessness, paranoia: PLWHAs as

part of stigmatizing group, fear fuels stigma, damage: negative impacts on physical, emotional and socioeconomic aspects, direct

discrimination, doubt: knowing but still doubting, stigma by association and silence creates a bigger fire. These themes were then

categorized into 3 general factors: personal, interpersonal and symbolic stigma. Despite the belief of many that stigma is just composed

of direct discrimination. The study explored that HIV-related stigma is multi-factorial. There is a stigma that is coming from the

patient themselves- personal stigma, the more common type of stigma that involves direct discrimination- interpersonal stigma

and a stigma that cannot be seen- symbolic stigma. These factors collectively create the stigma that forms a barrier between the HIV

positive and negative groups and a gap between the health care providers and the patients.