Association of comprehensive knowledge on HIV/AIDS and discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) among Filipino women

Abstract

Background:  The Philippines is among the countries with the fastest growth rate of HIV cases in the Asia-Pacific Region. HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination are recognized as major barriers, directly and indirectly inflicting harm to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Despite this, there is a lack of studies regarding HIV/AIDS discrimination in the Philippines. This study aimed to assess the association between comprehensive knowledge on HIV/AIDS and discriminatory attitudes towards PLWHA among women in the Philippines.

Methodology:  Secondary data analysis was done using the Philippine National Demographic Health Survey (2017). Twenty two thousand eight hundred thirteen (22,813) Filipino women aged 15-49 years old were included in this study. Multiple logistic regression was performed to determine the association between comprehensive knowledge and discriminatory attitudes. The final model was built using the change in estimate criterion and sampling weights were applied.

Results:  More than 3 out of 4 (76.87%) had discriminatory attitudes towards PLWHA, whereas only 1 out of 4 (26.24%) had comprehensive knowledge on HIV/AIDS. Results of multiple logistic regression reveal that women without comprehensive knowledge are 2.53 times more likely to have discriminatory attitudes towards PLWHA (OR= 2.53, 95% CI =2.26-2.84).

Conclusion:  Given that women without comprehensive knowledge are more likely to have discriminatory
attitudes, HIV/AIDS campaigns may be strengthened by integrating necessary concepts in comprehensive sexual education and conducting more active nationwide information and education campaign efforts. Moreover, there is a need to formally evaluate the overall effectiveness of existing interventions.