Social Stigma and Vulnerabilities of Women Living With HIV/AIDS in Kyrgyzstan: Service Providers’ Perspectives

Publish Year
2024
Publisher
Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services
Description

This article examines the challenges faced by women living with HIV in Kyrgyzstan through interviews with HIV care and advocacy professionals. The study finds that women experience intersecting forms of stigma, discrimination, intimate partner violence, and economic insecurity at personal, community, and institutional levels, which can limit their access to support and care. The authors call for stronger protections of confidentiality, greater social and economic support, and interventions that address HIV-related discrimination as a form of violence.