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Table 1 Main aspects of subscales and items selected for the short version of the HIV Stigma Scale

From: Development of a 12-item short version of the HIV stigma scale

Subscale

Description of content excerpted from Berger et al.a

Interpretation of main aspects

Questions selected for the short version of the HIV Stigma Scale

Personalised stigma

‘…Perceived consequences of other people knowing that the respondent has HIV, such as losing friends, feeling that people were avoiding him/her, and regrets for having told people’.

1. Losing friends and fear of rejection.

29. People I care about stopped calling after learning I have HIV

36. I have lost friends by telling them I have HIV

2. Feeling that people avoid me.

28. Some people avoid touching me if they know I have HIV

3. Regrets for having told people about my HIV status

All items regarding this aspect cross-loaded in analyses or had underfit

Disclosure concerns

‘…controlling information, keeping one’s HIV status a secret, or worrying that others who knew about respondent’s HIV status would tell’.

1. Keeping my HIV status a secret

4. Telling someone I have HIV is risky

6. I work hard to keep my HIV a secret

17. I am very careful who I tell that I have HIV

2. Worrying that others will disclose my HIV status

All items regarding this aspect cross-loaded in the analyses or had underfit

Concerns about public attitudes

‘…what most people think about people with HIV or what most people with HIV can expect when others learn they have HIV … the consequences of people in general knowing about a person having HIV’.

1. What most people think about people with HIV

10. Most people believe a person who has HIV is dirty

20. Most people are uncomfortable around someone with HIV

2. Consequences of people in general knowing about a person having HIV

9. People with HIV are treated like outcasts

Negative self-image

‘…feeling unclean, not as good as others or like a bad person because of HIV … feelings of shame and guilt’.

1. Negative feelings, guilt, shame, feeling unclean

2. I feel guilty because I have HIV

2. Feeling like I am a bad person because of HIV

7. I feel I’m not as good a person as others because I have HIV

3. People’s attitudes about HIV make me feel worse about myself

  1. aBerger BE, Ferrans CE, Lashley FR. Measuring stigma in people with HIV: psychometric assessment of the HIV stigma scale. Res Nurs Health. 2001;24(6);518–29 [11]