HIV/AIDS-related stigma and quality of life in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Iran

3^rd International Conference on HIV/AIDS, STDs & STIs

November 30 - December 02, 2015 Atlanta, USA

Mohammad Ebrahimi Kalan1, Shahnaz Rimaz2, Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi3 and Shabnam Borhani4

1North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, USA 2Iran University of Medical Science, Iran 3Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran 4Islamic Azad University, Iran

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J AIDS Clin Res

Abstract :

HIV/AIDS is emerged as one of the most significant public health problems in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The purpose of present study was to examine the association between quality of life (QoL) and stigma in People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). A cross-sectional study was conducted in tow Behavioral Counselling Centers in Tehran and Tabriz, Iran in 2013. Two hundred PLWHA were chosen by G-Power software, the division was 76.5% (153) male and 23.5% (47) female. The QoL was evaluated using the WHOQol-Bref instrument. For stigma measurments, the questionnaire for Iranian PLWHA which previously reported by same authors was used. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to find out significant differences between stigma and quality of life in PLWHA. The results showed that PLWHA with the imprisonment and drug using history reported low QoL (P<0.001). The influence of stigma (blaming and distancing, discrimination and fear) upon the QoL as chief independent variable were significant (P<0.05, P<0.05, and P<0.01, respectively). Spiritual domain of QoL showed no significant relationship with stigmaâ�?�? s domains. However, other domains of QoL had significant relationship with the level of education (Wilksâ�?�? Lambda=0.746, F [24.0, 664.0]=2.42; P<0.001). Our study demonstrated the relationship between QoL and stigma in PLWHA and identified others factors which influence QoL in these patients. More considerations and studies to improve ways and directions for social behaviors such as â�?�?Stigmaâ�? against PLWHIV should be accorded soaring priority to ensure the improvement of the overall QoL of PLWHA, particularly, in developing countries.

Biography :

Mohammad Ebrahimi Kalan is graduate student in North Carolina A&T State University in Biology Department. He has already completed Bachelor’s degree from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science and Master’s degree from Iran University of Medical Science, respectively both in Public Health. He is currently pursuing Master’s degree in A&T to acquire some background in biology.

Email: mebrahim@aggies.ncat.edu