A COMMUNITY-BASED HIV STIGMA REDUCTION INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND THEIR PARTNERS

The diagnosis of HIV impacts the lives and the relationships of both people living with HIV (PLWH) and their partners. The researchers aimed to describe the influence of a community-based HIV stigma reduction intervention on PLWH and their partners by means of a case study as well as their lived experiences during and after the intervention in both an urban and a rural setting in the North West Province, South Africa. A qualitative holistic multiple case study design and interpretive description approach through in-depth interviews was used. Purposive voluntary sampling was used for the PLWH and snowball sampling for their partners. The case record included multiple sources. Document analysis and open coding were used for analysis. No real differences were noted between the urban and rural groups and the data was then pooled. Participants expressed experiences that were evident of a successful intervention. Follow-up interventions with PLWH and partners are suggested.