@article{cfcf3062c0a040748c9ca8c68f4eaf42,
title = "“It{\textquoteright}s Better If I Die Because Even in the Hospital, There is a Stigma, People Still Gossip”: Gossip as a Culturally Shaped Labeling Process and Its Implications for HIV-Related Stigma in Botswana",
abstract = "This study qualitatively explores HIV-related gossip as both a manifestation and driver of HIV-related stigma, which is a known barrier to HIV testing and treatment in Botswana. Data were elicited from 5 focus group discussions and 46 semi-structured in-depth interviews with individuals living with HIV and community members with undisclosed serostatus in Gaborone, Botswana in 2017 (n = 84). Directed content analysis using the {\textquoteleft}What Matters Most{\textquoteright} theoretical framework identified culturally salient manifestations of HIV-related stigma; simultaneous use of Modified Labeling Theory allowed interpretation and stepwise organization of how the social phenomenon of gossip leads to adverse HIV outcomes. Results indicated that HIV-related gossip can diminish community standing through culturally influenced mechanisms, in turn precipitating poor psychosocial well-being and worsened HIV-related outcomes. These harms may be offset by protective factors, such as appearing healthy, accepting one{\textquoteright}s HIV status, and community education about the harms of gossip.",
keywords = "Botswana, Culture, Gossip, HIV/AIDS, Stigma",
author = "Poku, {Ohemaa B.} and Eschliman, {Evan L.} and Patlo Entaile and Shathani Rampa and Haitisha Mehta and Danielle Tal and Lea Silvert and Tingyu Li and Becker, {Timothy D.} and Darshini Govindasamy and Stockton, {Melissa A.} and Adebola Adedimeji and Ari Ho-Foster and Blank, {Michael B.} and Dangerfield, {Derek T.} and Yang, {Lawrence H.} and Murray, {Sarah M.}",
note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by a grant and core support services from the Penn Mental Health AIDS Research Center, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)–funded program (P30MH097488); a Fogarty International Center and National Institutes of Mental Health R21 Grant (TW011084-01; PI: L.H. Yang); and the Focus for Health Foundation. O. B. Poku was supported by the T32 Global Mental Health Training Program at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Mental Health (5T32MH1032). The study also benefited from core support services provided by the Penn Center for AIDS Research, an NIH-funded program (P30AI045008). Funding Information: We wish to thank the staff of the Princess Marina Hospital Infectious Disease Care Clinic. This work would also not have been possible without Bophelo Calvin Gontse, Mpho Kepaletswe Thuto Salepito, Dr. Rogers Moeng, and Dr. Vincent Dipatane, Dr. Marlene Eisenberg, Ms. Lilo Blank, and Ms. Lyla Yang. This research was supported by a grant and core support services from the Penn Mental Health AIDS Research Center, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)–funded program (P30MH097488); a Fogarty International Center and National Institutes of Mental Health R21 Grant (TW011084-01; PI: L.H. Yang); and the Focus for Health Foundation. O. B. Poku was supported by the T32 Global Mental Health Training Program at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Mental Health (5T32MH1032). The study also benefited from core support services provided by the Penn Center for AIDS Research, an NIH-funded program (P30AI045008). Funding Information: We wish to thank the staff of the Princess Marina Hospital Infectious Disease Care Clinic. This work would also not have been possible without Bophelo Calvin Gontse, Mpho Kepaletswe Thuto Salepito, Dr. Rogers Moeng, and Dr. Vincent Dipatane, Dr. Marlene Eisenberg, Ms. Lilo Blank, and Ms. Lyla Yang. This research was supported by a grant and core support services from the Penn Mental Health AIDS Research Center, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)–funded program (P30MH097488); a Fogarty International Center and National Institutes of Mental Health R21 Grant (TW011084-01; PI: L.H. Yang); and the Focus for Health Foundation. O. B. Poku was supported by the T32 Global Mental Health Training Program at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Mental Health (5T32MH1032). The study also benefited from core support services provided by the Penn Center for AIDS Research, an NIH-funded program (P30AI045008). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.",
year = "2023",
month = aug,
doi = "10.1007/s10461-023-03980-x",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "27",
pages = "2535--2547",
journal = "AIDS and Behavior",
issn = "1090-7165",
publisher = "Springer New York",
number = "8",
}
