The dimensionality of stigma: A comparison of its impact on the self of persons with HIV/AIDS and cancer

Does the impact of stigma on the self differ by illness type? This study focuses on a comparison of the effects of the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and cancer on self-esteem, body image, and personal control. We test the hypothesis that individuals' perceptions of stigma account for significant differences in the impact of an illness on the self: We examine four dimensions of perceived stigma: social rejection, internalized shame, social isolation, and financial insecurity. In turn,we consider how these dimensions medicate the effects of HIV/AIDS and cancer. Our sample includes 130 persons with HIV/AIDS arm 76 persons with cancer. We control for illness severity by including a measure of functional health status that is based on participants' subjective perspectives of the severity of their symptomatology. Our findings provide additional support for modified labeling theory; however; our findings also point to the dimensionality of stigma and its differential negative impact on particular elements of the self; regardless of illness type.