Stigma and discrimination are key issues for those affected by blood-borne viruses (BBV) and sexually transmissible infections (STI). They can hinder healthcare access, complicate intimate relationships, increase social isolation, and undermine trust in healthcare services. The effects of stigma related to BBV and STI in healthcare are far-reaching, limiting access to prevention, testing and treatment, and undermining the trust required for effective therapeutic relationships. While much research documents BBV- and STI-related stigma and discrimination within healthcare settings, less has focussed on how to address it.
Addressing this issue, this project will pilot the implementation of a BBV and STI stigma reduction toolkit designed for the BBV and STI healthcare workforce. Using realist evaluation methods, the project will examine the usability of the toolkit in two health care programs in Victoria.
Realist evaluation approaches to implementation focus on the processes and contexts through which an intervention or policy is being implemented. This approach will be used to identify the relationship between different factors that enable or constrain the use of the stigma reduction toolkit in Victorian healthcare settings. The findings from this project will be used to develop two resources to assist Victorian healthcare services to use the stigma reduction toolkit.
Contact Dr Jeanne Ellard for more information j.ellard@latrobe.edu.au
The project team comprises:
Chief investigators
Dr Jeanne Ellard
Mr Keegan Crow
Project Staff
Dr Jeanne Ellard
The research is funded by a grant from the Victorian Department of Health.
DruGS 