New research presented at IAS 2023 included an 88% reduction in new HIV infections in Sydney, practice-changing results from the REPRIEVE trial, and more.

Ye Zhang, PhD

Healthcare stigma has a complex, significant impact on the physical and mental health of MSM, but most studies assess healthcare stigma based on self-reported measures that may be affected by bias. Ye Zhang, PhD, presented results from a study that used trained, standardized patient actors to assess the impact of stigma on healthcare quality. They conducted 123 visits with 41 healthcare professionals at 17 clinics. Dr. Zhang reported lower scores for clinical guideline adherence in all stigmatized scenarios compared with the reference condition of an HIV-negative heterosexual man, although only the estimate for HIV-negative MSM was statistically significant. Appropriate diagnostic testing was less likely when standardized patients presented as HIV-positive, regardless of sexual orientation (HIV+straight: OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.00-3.35; HIV+MSM: OR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.01-0.77). However, the researchers reported no differences in patient-centered care scores, no adverse events, and no “overtly hostile” behaviors from clinicians. The findings suggest that “stigma most often manifests in the form of less attentive or even neglectful care,” Dr. Zhang and colleagues wrote.