Page 31 - Jan/Feb 2017 FTM

What marriage and family therapists
should know
Two prominent concepts that are often not fully understood by mental health professionals are the impacts of stigma and an understanding of intersecting identities. The effects of HIV stigma can have ramifications in many facets of an individual’s life. It can manifest as social stigma, seeping into interpersonal relationships, with those closest to an individual reflecting the negative misconceptions associated with HIV. Additionally, the impacts of internalized stigma often go unacknowledged. The way a person views themselves and the world around them, especially in relation to living with HIV, can sometimes become skewed, leading them to view themselves in an artificially negative light. This can lead to further mental health complications, as well as issues around treatment adherence and risk-taking behavior, and even violence within a relationship. Misconceptions about HIV fuel this stigma and can further isolate persons living with HIV. These misconceptions often arise from an individual’s immediate surroundings, further emphasizing the need to consider a client’s intersecting identities. No person is one dimensional, and many folks living with HIV also face additional stigma and oppression related to ethnicity, gender, sexuality or drug use. Because of this, many clients will not initially disclose their HIV status, so practitioners should aim to provide a setting in which clients feel safe and confident in doing so.
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