Blaming the victim? Results of a vignette study on the stigmatization of HIV-positive individuals

Background People infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) face discrimination in various areas of their lives. A well-known mechanism of stigmatization in this context is based on a lack of knowledge about how HIV is contracted. Objective The objective of this paper is to investigate perceived self-infliction of an infection and responsible behavior with an infection as a possible cause for the assessment of social distance towards HIV-infected people. Materials and methods The data basis is an online vignette survey in which 135 people participated. Hypotheses are tested with cluster-corrected multiple linear regressions. Results When HIV infection is perceived by others to be self-inflicted, social distancing increases. Similar distancing is experienced by HIV-infected individuals who work closely with people in their jobs, e.g., emergency service workers. Homosexual men who are HIV positive are especially stigmatized. Conclusion Stigmatization due to victim blaming towards HIV-infected people could be shown in this study.