Table 3.
Participant’s stigma experiences.
| Question/Responses | Higher Order Themes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| So, because of who you are, what negative experiences, stigma, or discriminations have you experienced in healthcare? | ||
| NO YES: Intersectional Stigma (Ethnicity, Substance Use, Homelessness) YES: HIV-Related Stigma |
|
“isolation, judgement, ignorance” “judgement” “It’s just so heavy” “When I first learned that I was positive, people weren’t as knowledgeable as they are now. You know, although you working in the health system, they still were scared because sometimes people did, you know, have stigma in common. Yeah. Yes. There was like back back way; [now] these people got more knowledge about it and they understand that they can’t get from just touching one of us, you know, being around us and stuff like that.“ Stigma. Yes. Is [it] is still here. It’s still here. And that’s awful because we’ve been living with this disease for so long and it shouldn’t be. “ … my active addiction at that time.” “I caught HIV in the streets—prostitution in 2016 … I, too, didn’t want to live any more. I couldn’t believe it was positive is the first positive test I ever had, and I’m glad. For my partner, he helped me get through it because I really didn’t understand it. I didn’t want to live anymore. I was homeless for like ten years. And he used to talk about me and stuff like that. I was real skinny and everything, but, you know, I was on drugs. I had a bad drug habit, you know … for a while. But finally, I got treatment.“ |
| Resilience through Support | “And [partner] used to come out and pick me up and take me to the clinic and stuff. And he helped me get into a program and get on medication and do the things and let me know that, you know, it’s going to be okay.” | |
| Resilience through Self |
“ … you see how people … will hit you below the belt … would call and tell me, ‘you have HIV’. And that, to me that hits me in my gut but I don’t carry stigma with me. I’m good. That’s it. Thank you for letting me share that.” “ … makes me stronger …” “ … [I used ask others,] ‘do you know your status?’ …” |
|
| Resilience through Faith/Religion/Spirituality | “God loves me. God bless them and help me. That’s all I could do. And I just kept on moving, you know” | |