A pill for HIV stigma? Casey House hospital creates ‘Stigmavir’ for healthcare providers

Casey House, a specialty hospital in Toronto for people with and at risk for HIV, is advertising a tongue-in-cheek answer: made-up medication, Stigmavir. In an ad for the heart-shaped pills, it says, “Irrational fear of HIV from healthcare professionals could be contributing to depression, treatment avoidance and negative healthcare outcomes. But there is a cure: Stigmavir, a once-a-day treatment proven to reduce mild to severe HIV stigma in health-care professionals.” One in five people living with HIV are denied healthcare because of stigma, the ad says. “Before starting STIGMAVIR, ask yourself if you’ve ever refused to touch a patient with HIV, shown a lack of empathy, or blamed or judged a person living with HIV,” it advises. “It only takes a subtle action, like a strange look or a step back, to make a person living with HIV feel unwelcome and unsettled.” The hospital also created an HIV-Stigma-Free toolkit for providers. It includes resources on HIV stigma, questions for providers to ask themselves about the care they are providing to people, and “HIV Stigma-Free” badges for use in healthcare offices. Read: U.S. pediatricians reverse decades-old advice against HIV-positive mothers breastfeedingDr. Ed Kucharski, chief medical officer at Casey House, said in a video that he believes the stigma persists because of providers’ fear, and that it affects their relationship with patients. “People who are stigmatized because of their HIV, I really think it affects the relationship we have with them as providers,” he says. “When you don’t have that trust, it’s very hard for you to provide the best care possible.” Yasir, an HIV advocate featured on Casey House’s website, said that he sometimes hesitates to go to the doctor because of the stigma he has faced in the past. He says that healthcare providers and nurses have gossipped about him and given him funny looks. “It’s just an open stigma,” he said. “Maybe we’ll treat you, and maybe we won’t. There are many doctors who are not treating positive people.” The ads and toolkit are the latest in the hospital’s Smash Stigma initiative. “This year, we’re inviting other health care providers to join us in the mission to create positive health care spaces that are informed, sensitive, inclusive, and inquisitive rather than assumptive,” Joanne Simons, Casey House CEO, said in a press release. “Everyone deserves health care that meets their needs, treats them with respect and maintains confidentiality.” Read: Undetectable = Untransmittable: A conversation between Dr. Theresa Tam and HIV activist Jade Elektra

A pill for HIV stigma? Casey House hospital creates ‘Stigmavir’ for healthcare providers

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