Stigma and its impact on adolescents living with HIV

In this role, I have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Leslie Enane and her research assistant Ms. Judith Toromo. Our main focus throughout this internship has been to explore how HIV stigma influences adolescent retention in HIV care. We have been analyzing qualitative data, which includes interviews conducted with the adolescents living with HIV, caregivers, and healthcare workers, to explore how different forms and settings of stigma directly impact care. Disengagement in care is a serious issue for some adolescents with HIV, which is associated with poor health outcomes. I was primarily responsible for analyzing data for qualitative themes. I then constructed an outline summarizing themes around our research focus. Our main goal is to disseminate this research by writing a manuscript, in which we summarize the findings of this study. Given that almost two million adolescents are living with HIV, the need for this research is essential in breaking those barriers that impact adolescent health outcomes.

Supervisor: Dr. Leslie Enane
Department: Pediatrics