What Works for Women and Girls

What Works—Strengthening the Enabling Environment: Reducing Stigma andDiscrimination1. Community-based interventions that provide accurate information about HIVtransmission (especially that casual contact cannot transmit the virus) can significantlyreduce HIV stigma and discrimination.2. Training for providers can reduce discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS.Promising Strategies:3. Couple and family counseling, in addition to individual counseling for people livingwith HIV, can reduce stigma within households.4. Implementation of non-discriminatory workplace policies may reduce stigma anddiscrimination.5. Recruited opinion leaders can reduce stigmatizing behaviors in the community.6. Support groups for people living with HIV in IDP camps, along with VCT andcounseling, may reduce stigma.7. Support to voluntarily disclose positive serostatus increases HIV-positive people’sability to cope and access treatment regimens and reduces perceived stigma in thecommunity.EVIDENCE1. Community-based interventions that provide accurate information about HIV transmission(especially that casual contact cannot transmit the virus) can significantly reduce HIVstigma and discrimination.A study and intervention in two communities in Vietnam found that project interventionsled to a significant increase in awareness of stigma, reduction in fear of becominginfected with HIV through casual contact with HIV-positive people and stigma andintentions concerning stigmatizing behavior. Better, more complete knowledge of howHIV was not transmitted translated into a greater degree of acceptance of people livingwith HIV and their family members. Stigma was so strong in these communities thatno one was open about their HIV-positive serostatus. The intervention consisted of aworkshop with community leaders to sensitize leaders on the impact of stigma andto provide knowledge on HIV and to meet people living with HIV. Each communitydesigned activities to reduce stigma: distributing an HIV and stigma fact sheet; meetings;posters; drama; school sessions for students and teacher; and support groups forWHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS331