Stigma refers to the negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors directed toward individuals or groups based on characteristics perceived as socially undesirable, leading to discrimination, marginalization, and reduced access to resources and support. Research published in this journal examines stigma across multiple…
Stigma refers to the negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors directed toward individuals or groups based on characteristics perceived as socially undesirable, leading to discrimination, marginalization, and reduced access to resources and support. Research published in this journal examines stigma across multiple health contexts, with particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS-related stigma and its effects on prevention, treatment adherence, disclosure decisions, and care-seeking behaviors in diverse populations including Uganda, Rwanda, and Nigeria. Studies address how stigma creates barriers to HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation, and antiretroviral treatment adherence, while also exploring affiliate stigma experienced by mental health service providers working in psychiatric settings. The research investigates stigma's role in domestic violence among HIV-discordant couples, challenges in caring for HIV-infected orphans in Southern Africa, and sociocultural factors influencing HIV status disclosure. Additional work examines stigma associated with obesity and infectious disease, including parallels between COVID-19 stigma and historical responses to leprosy. This body of research demonstrates that stigma operates as a significant psychosocial barrier affecting health outcomes, treatment engagement, and quality of life across various conditions and cultural contexts, underscoring the need for interventions that address stigmatizing attitudes within communities and healthcare systems.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 37 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Stigma, linking to each citing work.