Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
Open Access

Abstract

Prevalence of HIV-Related Stigma among HIV Infected Adolescents in Samia-Sub County, Kenya

Bella Omollo* and Rose Atieno Opiyo

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a leading cause of global burden of disease. Recently, significant progress has been made in increasing access to Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) for people living with HIV to suppress the replication of the virus. Suppressed viral replication facilitates restoration of the immune function and significantly reduces the risk of onward HIV transmission. Despite the increasing access to ART, compelling evidence indicate suboptimal levels of viral suppression among adolescents in many low-resource settings. This has been associated with failure of adolescents to adhere to medication due to stigma. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of HIV- related stigma among adolescents living with HIV in Samia Sub County, Busia County, Kenya. The study was guided by the theory of planned behavior and the Social cognitive theory. The study adopted the mixed method research design. The study population comprised of 4 peer educators, 740 caregivers, 1580 adolescent HIV+ boys and girls, and 1 Sub County Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections Coordinator (SCASCO). The sample size was 4 Peer educators, each drawn from the four wards, 74 caregivers for HIV + adolescents, 158 HIV+ adolescents and the I SCASCO. The stratified and simple random sampling techniques was used to select the 158 HIV+ adolescents and 74 caregivers while saturated sampling was employed to select 4 peer educators and one health officer. Questionnaires, Focus Group Discussion and interview schedule were used to collect data from the respondents. All the instruments were piloted before administration in order to determine their validity and reliability. The test -retest method was used and a reliability coefficient of 0.70 was accepted. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as the frequency counts and percentages. Qualitative data was organized in terms of relevant themes and sub-themes and interpreted. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 23.0. The study established that there is a high prevalence of HIV-related stigma among infected adolescents in Samia Sub-County. It is recommended that the Ministry of Health, NGOs, Community Based Organization, health workers and policy makers should have an informed understanding of HIV-AIDS prevalence hence equip themselves with skills, abilities, behaviors and strategies needed to mitigate HIV-AIDS prevalence among the adolescents in Samia Sub-County. It may also help improve on programs targeting adolescents with HIV interventions for optimal viral suppression outcome among this young population.

Published Date: 2022-03-21; Received Date: 2022-02-18