Disclosure concerns moderate the association between internalized stigma and antiretroviral medication adherence among people with HIV in the Dominican Republic.

ABSTRACT: HIV-related stigma remains a significant barrier to antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among people with HIV (PWH). Internalized stigma has been consistently linked to poorer ART adherence. However, the role of disclosure concerns, worries or fears about revealing one's HIV status, remains unclear. This study examines whether disclosure concerns moderate the relationship between internalized stigma and ART adherence among PWH in the Dominican Republic. Data were drawn from 471 PWH recruited from two HIV clinics as part of a cluster-randomized pilot trial. Using moderation analyses, we found that internalized stigma was significantly associated with lower ART adherence (B = -2.30, p = .002), while disclosure concerns alone were not. However, disclosure concerns significantly mode

SUBMITTER: Yigit I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12637177 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature