The Relationship Between Social Support and Experienced and Internalized HIV-Related Stigma Among People Living with HIV in the Deep South

The Deep South has experienced disproportionately high HIV diagnosis and death rates compared to other U.S. regions. Stigma experiences and perceptions are particularly high among individuals living with HIV in the Deep South and are consistently associated with negative health outcomes including poorer medication adherence. This study included a survey of 201 individuals living with HIV in the Deep South and examined the relationship between social support and internalized stigma with a focus on individuals who had recent experiences of verbal HIV stigma related to HIV. Study participants were recruited from HIV medical care clinics and community-based organizations. Over one-third of study participants reported experiencing verbal stigma related to HIV in the last 3 months such as being "insulted" because of their HIV status (25%). Internalized stigma, as measured by the HIV Stigma Scale, was also prevalent among study participants. Multivariate analyses identified that higher internalized stigma was predicted by recent verbal stigma experiences and social support was found to be a statistically significant modifier of the relationship of recent verbal stigma experiences and internalized stigma (p < .01). These findings emphasize the critical need for effective interventions that build and enhance social support and address internalized HIV-related stigma among individuals living with HIV in the U.S. Deep South.