Suspending judgment

HIV-related stigma in health care settings continues to pose challenges as a major barrier to prevention, testing, treatment and care. In January 2011, the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and India’s National AIDS Coordinating Organization (NACO) organized a workshop for health care workers on reducing HIV-related stigma. This workshop brought together both public and private sector health care providers to develop common strategies for stigma reduction. Training approaches and materials on stigma and universal precautions were tested among health care workers.

This report documents the proceedings of the workshop and brings to light health workers’ own fears and concerns around HIV/AIDS, causes and drivers of stigma, effects of stigma on the HIV epidemic, and strategies for prevention. The workshop made use of a wide variety of participatory learning tools, including pictures, case studies, participants’ own stories, role plays, individual quizzes, rotational brainstorming, and individual reflection as a focus for discussion.