HIV/AIDS Stigma among Women in Sukoharjo District

Abstract

Reducing the stigma against People with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) among women in Sukoharjo Regency is very important because of the high stigma caused by many factors such as education, knowledge, age, economic level, length of stay, and religion. High stigma causes PLWHA to face discrimination, social isolation, and limited access to health services due to a lack of education and prevention. This study aims to describe the stigma against PLWHA among women in Sukoharjo Regency. This study is an analytical survey study with a cross-sectional approach. The study population was women aged over 15 years. The sample taken was 285 women with a questionnaire distributed via a Google form. Data analysis used the chi-square test. The results showed that the characteristics of the respondents were mostly 40-49 years old (37.5%), highly educated (78.6%), and private employees (33%). The stigma against PLWHA is still in the less category, namely 42.8%. Age and education are not related to HIV/AIDS stigma while work is associated with HIV/AIDS stigma. There needs to be an intervention program for women according to age, education, and employment to reduce the stigma against PLWHA.