Special Editions

submission deadline
June 30, 2016
Article processing charges: $99
release deadline
August 31, 2016
Accepted papers will be published online immediately

Guest Editor

Safiya G. Dalmida, PhD, APRN-BC

Associate Professor
Director of Scholarly Affairs
Capstone College of Nursing
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA

Safiya_George_Dalmida

Associate Guest Editor

Pamela Payne-Foster, MD, MPH

Associate Professor
Deputy Director, Institute for Rural Health Research
College of Community Health Sciences
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA

PamelaPayne

Scope of the special edition

HIV-Related Stigma across the Lifespan by HARTOJ

People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) across all ages experience some degree of HIV-related stigma. Although HIV/AIDS is now considered a chronic, treatable illness, stigma continues to be an issue for many PLWHA and may affect engagement and retention in HIV care. Additionally, stigma reduces the likelihood that PLWHAs will disclose their status to others, which may play a role in obtaining care and social support, and in the risk of transmitting the virus to others (Simoni & Pantelone, 2005). Stigma also serves as a barrier to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment (Mahajan, et al., 2008) and may contribute to the expansion of the epidemic (Visser, Kershaw, Makin & Forsyth, 2008). Stigmatization may lead to feelings of shame, guilt, self-loathing, and depression, which can result in low self-esteem and decreased social interactions (Emlet, 2007; Galvan, Davis, Banks, and Bean, 2008). PLWHA have reported being stigmatized by family and friends, as well as losing their jobs or housing (Herek, 1999). Because of the negative health outcomes related to stigma, strategies and interventions to reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma have been identified, developed, and recommended for implementation in both developed and developing countries. Heijnders and van der Meij (2006) reviewed pertinent literature and identified numerous strategies and five levels of intervention to reduce stigma: 1) intrapersonal, 2) interpersonal, 3) organizational/institutional, 4) community and 5) governmental/structural. Education is the common thread in interventions to reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma. Heijnders and van der Meij (2006) argue that interventions must empower PLWHAs to take an active role in developing relevant stigma-reduction programs in their communities. It is important that outcomes be assessed to determine effective strategies for different populations. A recent literature review of interventions to reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma has shown that measures used to evaluate stigma reduction in intervention studies were disparate or inadequate. Additionally, none of the studies addressed or showed any outcomes related to increased HIV testing, access to care and treatment, new and improved policies, or improved social support. However, knowledge gaps persist about the impact of HIV-related stigma on HIV-specific outcomes and in various age groups. This special edition solicits high-quality manuscripts about HIV-related stigma and the role of stigma on HIV-related outcomes. Submitted papers may be in the form of original qualitative or quantitative research, case reports, and integrative literature reviews. This special edition invites manuscripts from all disciplines.

Dr. Safiya G. Dalmida
Guest Editor

Published articles

Special Edition - Research

2017 Sep

Safiya George Dalmida*, Graham J. McDougall Jr., George C. T. Mugoya, Pamela Payne Foster, Makenzie Plyman and Joe Burrage

Special Edition - Research

2017 Apr

Pamela Payne Foster*, Safiya George Dalmida, Graham J McDougall and Joe Burrage

Special Edition - Brief Research

2016 Oct

Elizabeth Di Valerio, Safiya George Dalmida*, Tai Hunte-Ceasar, Amy Schweizer, Gritell C.B. Martinez, Alexandra Savinkina, Laura Harker, Kate Yuhas, Kelsey Simhachalam, Hayley Robinett, Peiyuan Huang, Brittany Freeman and George C.T. Mugoya

Special Edition - Brief Research Report

2016 Aug

Graham J. McDougall*, Safiya George Dalmida, Pamela Payne Foster and Joe Burrage
Age, Stigma, Adherence and Clinical Indicators in HIV-Infected Women

Special Edition - Research

2015 Nov

Katryna McCoy*, Melinda Higgins, Julie Ann Zuñiga and Marcia McDonnell Holstad