A comparison in HIV-associated stigma among healthcare workers in urban and rural Gujarat

The present study measures levels of stigma within health care settings in urban and rural Gujarat, in an attempt to understand how this may have contributed to the state’s increasing HIV incidence. Two sites were studied: a rural hospital in Bardoli and an urban hospital in Surat. HIV-associated stigma among healthcare workers (N=170) was assessed using a Stigma Index. Overall, analyses suggest an increase in medical education was found to be associated with higher stigmatisation (p<0.001). Furthermore, a statistically significant difference between stigma scores of HCWs in rural and urban Gujarat was not observed.