Between 2011 and 2021, the proportion of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV in the Republic of Moldova decreased for 4 out of 6 indicators. These are the data of the study “Stigma Index 2:0”, conducted in the country for the third time in the history of independence.
At the same time, according to the survey, which involved 868 people living with HIV from both banks of the Nistru River and was conducted throughout 2022, almost half of the respondents (47%) admitted that they feel ashamed because of their HIV status.
In terms of discrimination, those aged 18 to 24 years were the most likely to experience it (27.8%). Many participants reported that the most common forms of stigma and discrimination they experienced were of the verbal type – gossip, discriminatory remarks, verbal abuse, blackmail, etc. Meanwhile, women compared to male participants were more likely to report discrimination that included discriminatory remarks from family members. Which demonstrates their greater vulnerability. Out of all the interviewees, 12 people confessed that they were refused employment because of positive HIV status and 7 were physically harassed.
According to the study, out of all the participants who faced violation of rights, only 4 people (0.5%) filed a claim for redress. The study also talks about the reasons why people living with HIV did not report the violation of their rights. The most common was that respondents did not know where to turn (17.1%) or they were afraid that their actions would lead to people finding out about their HIV status (14.6%).
The study “Stigma Index 2:0” was conducted by the “League of People Living with HIV” with technical support from UNAIDS in Moldova within the framework of the joint UN Program “Strengthening Human Rights on both banks of the Nistru River” with financial support from the Embassy of Sweden, including by increasing the responsibility of directly affected communities. The full version of the study can be read here.
Elena Derzhanskaya