HIV and AIDS-related Courtesy Stigma: South African Caregivers’ Experiences and Coping Strategies

Abstract

Home-Based Caregivers (HBCGs) remain significant in mitigating the impact of Human Immune Virus and Acquired Immune-deficiency Syndrome (HIV and AIDS). They ensure that despite the overloaded health care systems, AIDS patients remain cared, supported and treated with dignity in their family environments. Despite this commitment, HBCGs face several challenges which were not adequately scrutinised from the scientific perspective. This qualitative study aimed to explore and describe the HBCGs’ experiences of and coping strategies with courtesy stigma as one of their work-related challenges. Twenty-five HBCGs who were identified and recruited through purposive and snowball sampling techniques took part in this study. Data which was analysed and verified revealed that caregivers are undermined, devalued and even insulted due to their association with people living with HIV. This study further highlighted several pillars of strengths which keep them doing this work despite its difficulties. Implications of the findings are engaged and recommendations drawn from the social work perspective.