HIV-related stigma in relation to health care professionals in Canada

Key take-home messages

• There was relatively little literature on the experience of stigma in Canadian health care settings or on the attitudes of Canadian health professionals.
• In three Canadian studies, people living with HIV described experiencing stigma within a health care setting.
• However, three other studies found a decrease in HIV-related stigma. In one, medical students were significantly more willing to treat people living with HIV than they were 12 years earlier. In a study with Aboriginal youth, 80% described their interactions with health-care providers as positive. A third study found that more than 80% of Canadian health-care providers had a positive attitude towards pregnancy and adoption for people living with HIV — although access to services remained limited.

• Determinants of Health
  • Stigma/discrimination
• Population(s)
  • Indigenous communities
  • Other