Internalised Stigma, Discrimination, Depression, Social Support And Disclosure Experiences Of HIV+ Workers In The South African Construction Industry

HIV/AIDS-related stigmas can be internalised by HIV+ persons, leading them to avoid treatment or care, engage in unsafe sex practices, feel emotional distress, isolation and self-loathing and perceive diminished social support. Using a self administered questionnaire, internalised stigma was investigated in 34 HIV+ respondents from a sample of 512 construction workers in the Western Cape of South Africa, with statistical analysis of the quantitative data. Particular emphasis was placed on lifestyle-related risk factors such as the condom use (lack of), numbers of sex partners, and failure to take anti-retroviral medication. The HIV+ workers were found to have lower AIDS-related knowledge than non-infected co-workers, and their internalised stigma was significantly associated with level of education. Improving knowledge, eradicating discrimination in the workplace and society, and recasting HIV/AIDS as a chronic but manageable disease could potentially help to address the problems presented by such stigma, but construction organisations will have to apply nuanced and sensitive approaches in their intervention management.