Falaschi Dr. Sofia, Antonelli Paolo, Giunti Dr. Daniel, Salvatori Dr. Gioele A, Dèttore Prof. Davide

(49) HIV KNOWLEDGE AND STIGMA TOWARDS HIV-POSITIVE PEOPLE: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

  • Urology
  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Endocrinology
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
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Abstract Objectives Our study investigates the Italian population’s level of knowledge about HIV and how it influences the perceived stigma towards HIV-positive people. Specifically, we evaluated the association between socio-demographic variables and the level of knowledge regarding transmission, high-risk behaviors and prevention with respect to HIV, and the association between such variables and the perceived stigma towards HIV-positive individuals. We hypothesized that knowledge about HIV would be negatively correlated with participants’ age and with the perceived stigma towards HIV-positive people. Methods 5256 individuals took part in the study, 54 of whom reported being HIV-positive. Participants were given a questionnaire aimed at gathering socio-demographic information, at investigating knowledge on the topic of HIV, and at assessing the level of stigma they perceived towards HIV-positive individuals. Results Participants answered correctly to an average of 86.4% of the answers, but the percentage was lower for seronegative respondents (82.6%) compared to seropositive ones (90.2%). Significant but weak positive correlations were observed between knowledge regarding HIV, on one side, and, on the other, participant’s age and perceived stigma. A higher level of knowledge about HIV was associated with a higher education and with the main source of information on the matter, with those relying mostly on the media being the least informed. Moreover, condom use tends to decrease with age. As regards HIV-positive respondents, the younger their age the more they felt that their serostatus negatively impacted their self-image. Conclusions Our study highlights that, although our sample showed a good overall knowledge about HIV, several areas resulted lacking and should be the target of future sensibilization campaigns. Perceived stigma resulted weakly correlated with the variables we considered, but future research should aim at gaining a deeper understanding of the factors that influence it. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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