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Perspectives of HIV-positive and -negative people who use drugs regarding the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure in Canada: a qualitative study Ng, Cara; Chayama, Koharu L.; Krüsi, Andrea; Small, Will; Knight, Rod E.

Abstract

Background: While previous research has identified how criminalization of HIV non-disclosure can have deleterious effects on those living with HIV, the perspectives of people who use drugs – a population disproportionately affected by HIV– should be more meaningfully considered in these discussions. Methods: Using constant comparative techniques, data from 60 interviews with men and women living with and without HIV and who use drugs in Vancouver were analyzed to explore their perceptions about Canada’s HIV non-disclosure legal framework. Results: Participants’ perspectives on the framework involved three themes: understandings of HIV risk; HIV-related stigma; and their own experiences with HIV. While several participants favored the punitive character of the legal framework, these arguments were premised on misinformed and stigmatized assumptions regarding HIV. Conclusions: The paper concludes by discussing the challenges and opportunities for resisting HIV stigma and misconceptions about HIV within the context of personal accounts that, at times, support criminalization of non-disclosure.

Item Metadata

Title
Perspectives of HIV-positive and -negative people who use drugs regarding the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure in Canada: a qualitative study
Creator
Ng, Cara; Chayama, Koharu L.; Krüsi, Andrea; Small, Will; Knight, Rod E.
Contributor
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS; British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
Publisher
BioMed Central
Date Issued
2020-08-10
Description
Background: While previous research has identified how criminalization of HIV non-disclosure can have deleterious effects on those living with HIV, the perspectives of people who use drugs – a population disproportionately affected by HIV– should be more meaningfully considered in these discussions. Methods: Using constant comparative techniques, data from 60 interviews with men and women living with and without HIV and who use drugs in Vancouver were analyzed to explore their perceptions about Canada’s HIV non-disclosure legal framework. Results: Participants’ perspectives on the framework involved three themes: understandings of HIV risk; HIV-related stigma; and their own experiences with HIV. While several participants favored the punitive character of the legal framework, these arguments were premised on misinformed and stigmatized assumptions regarding HIV. Conclusions: The paper concludes by discussing the challenges and opportunities for resisting HIV stigma and misconceptions about HIV within the context of personal accounts that, at times, support criminalization of non-disclosure.
Subject
People who use drugs; Criminalization; HIV; Non-disclosure; Stigma
Genre
Article
Type
Text
Language
eng
Date Available
2020-08-11
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
DOI
10.14288/1.0392693
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/75420
Affiliation
Medicine, Faculty of; Other UBC; Non UBC; Medicine, Department of
Citation
BMC Public Health. 2020 Aug 10;20(1):1220
Publisher DOI
10.1186/s12889-020-09291-3
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Faculty
Copyright Holder
The Author(s).
Rights URI
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Aggregated Source Repository
DSpace

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Rights

Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)