Disentangling the stigma of HIV/AIDS from the stigmas of drugs use, commercial sex and commercial blood donation – A factorial survey of medical students in China

Background: HIV/AIDS related stigma interferes with the provision of appropriate care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. Currently, programs to address the stigma approach it as if it occurs in isolation, separate from the co-stigmas related to the various modes of disease transmission including injection drug use (IDU) and commercial sex (CS). In order to develop better programs to address HIV/AIDS related stigma, the inter-relationship (or 'layering') between HIV/AIDS stigma and the co-stigmas needs to be better understood. This paper describes an experimental study for disentangling the layering of HIV/AIDS related stigmas. Methods: The study used a factorial survey design. 352 medical students from Guangzhou were presented with four random vignettes each describing a hypothetical male. The vignettes were identical except for the presence of a disease diagnosis (AIDS, leukaemia, or no disease) and a cocharacteristic (IDU, CS, commercial blood donation (CBD), blood transfusion or no cocharacteristic). After reading each vignette, participants completed a measure of social distance that assessed the level of stigmatising attitudes. Results: Bivariate and multivariable analyses revealed statistically significant levels of stigma associated with AIDS, IDU, CS and CBD. The layering of stigma was explored using a recently developed technique. Strong interactions between the stigmas of AIDS and the co-characteristics were also found. AIDS was significantly less stigmatising than IDU or CS. Critically, the stigma of AIDS in combination with either the stigmas of IDU or CS was significantly less than the stigma of IDU alone or CS alone. Conclusion: The findings pose several surprising challenges to conventional beliefs about HIV/ AIDS related stigma and stigma interventions that have focused exclusively on the disease stigma. Contrary to the belief that having a co-stigma would add to the intensity of stigma attached to people with HIV/AIDS, the findings indicate the presence of an illness might have a moderating effect on the stigma of certain co-characteristics like IDU. The strong interdependence between the stigmas of HIV/AIDS and the co-stigmas of IDU and CS suggest that reducing the co-stigmas should be an integral part of HIV/AIDS stigma intervention within this context

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2004-2005 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

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2003-2004 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

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2007-2008 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

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2000-2001 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

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2001-2002 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

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The fall of the Ming dynasty in the first half of the 17th century and the Taiping Rebellion from 1851-1864 were two of the most chaotic periods in Chinese history, and each was accompanied by large-scale population collapses. The 'Kang-Qian Golden Age' (also known as 'High Qing'), during which population size expanded rapidly, falls in between the two. Scholars remain divided in their opinions concerning the above alternation of population growth and decline as to whether variations in population size or climate change should be identified as the root cause. In either case, the synergistic impact of population growth and climate change upon population growth dynamics is overlooked. In the present study, we utilized high-resolution empirical data, qualitative survey, statistical comparison and time-series analysis to investigate how the two factors worked synergistically to drive population cycles in 1600-1899. To facilitate our research, we posited a set of simplified pathways for population growth in historical agrarian China. Our results confirm that the interrelation between population growth, climate change and population crises in recent Chinese history basically followed our posited pathways. The recurrences of population crises were largely determined by the combination of population growth and climate change. Our results challenge classic Malthusian/post-Malthusian interpretations and historians' views of historical Chinese population cycles. © 2012 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 28 May 201

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Author name used in this publication: David ZhangBiometrics Research Centre, Department of ComputingRefereed conference paper2007-2008 > Academic research: refereed > Refereed conference paperVersion of RecordPublishe

Necessary and sufficient condition for finite horizon H[sub ∞] estimation of time delay systems

Author name used in this publication: David ZhangVersion of RecordPublishe

Progressive switching median filter for the removal of impulse noise from highly corrupted images

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