{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T03:14:25Z","timestamp":1788232465519,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,7]],"date-time":"2022-10-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1665100800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Fogarty International Center (U.S. Department of State\u2019s Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy [S\/GAC]"},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"National Institutes of Health","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["R25TW011210"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R25TW011210"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>HIV-related stigma is a global problem among HIV clients with far-reaching effects including increased rates of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. However, HIV-related stigma experiences and coping strategies have received little attention, especially among pregnant women in rural settings. We explored the HIV-related stigma experiences and coping strategies among pregnant women in rural northern Uganda.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This was a qualitative descriptive study conducted among HIV-positive pregnant women seeking care at Aboke Health Center IV, Kole district, northern Uganda. We conducted 12 in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were analyzed using the inductive thematic approach of Braun and Clarke.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The age range of the 12 participants was 17 to 35 years while the average duration with HIV since diagnosis was five years. The majority of the participants were subsistence farmers who had attained a primary level of education. Social rejection and public ridicule were identified as HIV-related stigma experiences while ignoring, social support, and prayers were identified as HIV-related coping strategies among the study participants.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Enacted HIV-related stigma is common among pregnant women in rural northern Uganda. Healthcare providers should work closely with HIV-positive women and other stakeholders to identify and strengthen HIV-related stigma coping strategies among pregnant women in rural settings.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0272931","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,7]],"date-time":"2022-10-07T17:38:18Z","timestamp":1665164298000},"page":"e0272931","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":22,"title":["HIV-related stigma experiences and coping strategies among pregnant women in rural Uganda: A qualitative descriptive study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Judith","family":"Jolle","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0481-2220","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Amir","family":"Kabunga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tonny Owili","family":"Okello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Esther Oloi","family":"Kadito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jimmy","family":"Aloka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Geoffrey","family":"Otiti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Agnes Adong","family":"Aluku","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Edward","family":"Kumakech","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6723-5048","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Samson","family":"Udho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0272931.ref001","author":"Avert","year":"2019","journal-title":"HIV stigma and discrimination"},{"key":"pone.0272931.ref002","author":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention","year":"2021","journal-title":"HIV stigma and discrimination"},{"key":"pone.0272931.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-007-6324-1","author":"P Liamputtong","year":"2013","journal-title":"Stigma, discrimination and living with HIV\/AIDS: A cross-cultural perspective: Springer"},{"key":"pone.0272931.ref004","volume-title":"Global HIV & AIDS statistics\u20142018 fact sheet","author":"UNAID Data","year":"2018"},{"key":"pone.0272931.ref005","article-title":"Stigma and discrimination: Barrier for ending AIDS by 2030 and achieving the 90-90-90 targets by 2020","author":"DN Wirawan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Public Heal Prev Med Arch"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0272931.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-020-02614-z","article-title":"Impacts of stigma and discrimination in the workplace on people living with psychosis","volume":"20","author":"ME Hampson","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Psychiatry"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0272931.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"796","DOI":"10.1080\/08870446.2019.1572143","article-title":"Experiences of HIV-related discrimination and consequences for internalised stigma, depression and alcohol use","volume":"34","author":"KB Crockett","year":"2019","journal-title":"Psychology & health"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0272931.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2025","DOI":"10.1007\/s10461-018-2301-4","article-title":"HIV-related stigma and viral suppression among African-American women: exploring the mediating roles of depression and ART nonadherence","volume":"23","author":"L Lipira","year":"2019","journal-title":"AIDS and Behavior"},{"key":"pone.0272931.ref009","volume-title":"Commissioned for the guideline review. 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