{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:28:20Z","timestamp":1787027300544,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,9]],"date-time":"2026-01-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767916800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Despite advances in HIV treatment, stigma and discrimination toward people living with HIV (PLHIV) remain widespread across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Limited qualitative research has explored both public attitudes and the lived experiences of PLHIV in the region.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with twenty-seven participants from five GCC countries, including PLHIV and members of the public. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Findings showed that HIV stigma is driven by moral judgments, misinformation, and negative media representation. PLHIV reported experiences of social exclusion, fear of disclosure, and barriers to healthcare, education, and employment. Stigma was gendered, with women facing more severe social consequences. Participants highlighted the need for increased public awareness, improved media narratives, and specific policy reforms, including stronger confidentiality protections, non-discriminatory access to healthcare, and workplace safeguards for PLHIV.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Reducing HIV stigma in the GCC requires coordinated, multi-level strategies that directly address the structural and social factors identified in this study. These include the development of stigma-free and integrated healthcare pathways, strengthened legal protections, and sustained public awareness efforts. The findings emphasize the importance of grounding policy and educational interventions in the lived realities of PLHIV and the broader public.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1718112","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,9]],"date-time":"2026-01-09T06:36:35Z","timestamp":1767940595000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Public's perceptions and attitudes toward HIV and people living with HIV in GCC countries: a qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Noura","family":"Alomair","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samah","family":"Alageel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","year":"2024","journal-title":"HIV Statistics, Globally and by WHO Region"},{"key":"B2","volume-title":"2024 Global AIDS Report\u2014The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads.","year":"2024"},{"key":"B3","volume-title":"Middle East and North Africa Regional Profile-\u22122024 Global AIDS Update The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads.","year":"2024"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1731296","DOI":"10.1080\/26410397.2020.1731296","article-title":"Sexually transmitted infection knowledge and attitudes among Muslim women worldwide: a systematic review","volume":"28","author":"Alomair","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sex Reprod Health Matters."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"639","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17020639","article-title":"Experiences and attitudes of people with HIV\/AIDS: A systematic review of qualitative studies","volume":"17","author":"Arias-Colmenero","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e506","DOI":"10.1016\/S2352-3018(22)00093-5","article-title":"Status of the HIV epidemic in key populations in the Middle East and north Africa: knowns and unknowns","volume":"9","author":"Mumtaz","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet HIV."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1990527","DOI":"10.1080\/20008198.2021.1990527","article-title":"HIV\/AIDS stigma and psychological wellbeing after 40 years of HIV\/AIDS: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"12","author":"Rzeszutek","year":"2021","journal-title":"Eur J Psychotraumatol."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e011453","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2016-011453","article-title":"Examining the associations between HIV-related stigma and health outcomes in people living with HIV\/AIDS: a series of meta-analyses","volume":"6","author":"Rueda","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMJ Open."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1160","DOI":"10.1007\/s10461-009-9593-3","article-title":"From conceptualizing to measuring HIV stigma: a review of HIV stigma mechanism measures","volume":"13","author":"Earnshaw","year":"2009","journal-title":"AIDS Behav."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"863","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2017.303744","article-title":"Framing mechanisms linking HIV-related stigma, adherence to treatment, and health outcomes","volume":"107","author":"Turan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am J Public Health."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"397","DOI":"10.1007\/s44197-023-00097-1","article-title":"Progress of the gulf cooperation council (gcc) countries towards achieving the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets: a review","volume":"13","author":"Awaidy","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Epidemiol Glob Health."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1248695","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1248695","article-title":"Muslim women's perspectives on the barriers to sexually transmitted infections testing and diagnosis in Saudi Arabia","volume":"11","author":"Alomair","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Public Health."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"939","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jiph.2020.04.002","article-title":"HIV\/AIDS-knowledge and attitudes in the Arabian Peninsula: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"13","author":"Aldhaleei","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Infect Public Health."},{"key":"B14","year":"2023","journal-title":"The Path that Ends AIDS: UNAIDS Global AIDS Update Univ. 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