HIV-and drug use–related stigma and service provision among community health workers in Vietnam

Abstract

This study compared community health workers’ (CHW) stigma towards people living with HIV (PLH) and people who use drugs (PWUD) and explored the relationship between stigma and CHWs’ confidence level in providing HIV/drug-related services. Using two sets of identically worded questions, levels of stigma towards PWUD and PLH were measured among 120 CHW from 60 communes in Vietnam. The associations between CHWs’ confidence in service provision and stigma towards PWUD and PLH were examined using a linear mixed-effects regression model. The majority of the CHW reported higher levels of stigma towards PWUD than towards PLH. Compared to the CHW reporting higher stigma towards PWUD, those with higher stigma towards PLH were significantly less confident in service provision. Social opprobrium attached to drug-using behaviors can be a major driver behind the overall HIV stigma. CHWs’ fear of HIV infection should be tackled to boost their confidence in HIV/drug-related care provision.