Almost two-thirds of people with HIV in Ireland report experiencing stigma because of their condition
Seán McCárthaigh
Almost two-thirds of people in Ireland with HIV claim they have experienced stigma as a result of living with the infection, according to the results of new medical research.
The study found that almost six out of 10 people infected with HIV stated that it currently impacts their mental health.
Researchers from University College Cork’s School of Public Health, also found a reluctance among people with HIV to tell family and friends about their condition.
Although HIV was once a terminal disease, the increasing effectiveness and availability of antiretroviral therapy means it is now a chronic treatable infection with life expectancy approaching that of HIV-negative individuals.
However, the study revealed that only 41 per cent of people with HIV in Ireland still feel comfortable in disclosing their status to a family member.
The figure decreased to 28 per cent when it came to people with HIV willing to tell friends about their diagnosis.
Healthcare professionals also identified stigma as a barrier to psychosocial care being provided to patients with HIV.
However, they also reported numerous other practical barriers including a lack of clinic space, competing priorities for nurse specialists and patients, large catchment areas as well as travel and socioeconomic burdens.
The study, whose findings are published in the medical journal, BMC Public Health, noted the increased prevalence of mental health disorders among people infected with HIV was well documented.
It said it was also clear that the psychosocial needs of people living with HIV have increasingly become central to their care.
However, researchers said assumptions that the efficacy of treatment with antiretroviral therapy negated the need for community s and psychosocial care failed to consider the impact of HIV-related stigma.
At the same time, a minority of those surveyed expressed concern that an overemphasis on HIV-specific services within clinics may inadvertently perpetuate stigma associated with the infection.
The research involved a detailed survey of 54 people in the Republic living with HIV, of which 70 per cent were male, while almost eight out 10 respondents had been living with HIV for at least three years.
Approximately two-thirds of respondents said they were at least somewhat satisfied with their access to HIV-specific healthcare.
However, nearly half of participants (48 per cent) disagreed that they knew how to access mental health care and s if they needed them.
Almost four of 10 people said that the Covid-19 pandemic had made living with HIV more difficult and challenging.
The survey revealed that more than six out of 10 respondents wanted to learn more about managing mental health issues.
Respondents also expressed concern that healthcare funders no longer considered HIV services to be a priority due to HIV transitioning from being a terminal condition to a chronic illness.
They also claimed the stigmatisation of the condition presented challenges when lobbying for allocation of resources and funding.
According to figures published by the HSE, there were 8,000 people estimated to be living with HIV in Ireland in 2022.
A total of 884 HIV diagnoses were notified in the Republic in 2022 with almost two-thirds of individuals having previously been diagnosed outside of Ireland.
It corresponds to a rate of 17.2 per 100,000 population which is above the EU average rate.
The study recommended that public health campaigns should be used to reduce HIV stigma and contribute to a cultural context where people living with HIV “feel comfortable disclosing their status and seeking appropriate s.”
It said its findings suggested patients with HIV benefit from multidisciplinary care teams, while healthcare professionals had also identified a need for more dedicated HIV s.
Researchers also recommended that the facilitation of effective peer should be encouraged to afford people living with HIV opportunities to disclose and receive practical advice and social .
