Media Exposure, Gender Stereotype and Contextual Stigma Perceptions about HIV and AIDS

Abstract

This article examines whether variation in media exposure and gender would yield diverse stigma perceptions on HIV AIDS, and finds the mechanism behind these phenomena. It employs data from 2005–06 NFHS (National Family Health Survey) for Gujarat, a major western state of India, supplemented with some qualitative information. Logistic regressions were undertaken modelling five different stigma perceptions for women and men in varying contexts such as maintaining secrecy of HIV infection, care and support to and service from HIV infected persons. A chi-square test on response from men and women reveals that significant gender differential exists in terms of nature of HIV-related stigma perceptions. While women prefer to keep family member’s HIV infection secret, men rebuff providing care to HIV infected relatives in their own households and disapprove infected persons continue teaching in schools. The exposure to electronic as well as print media has consistent effect on HIV-related stigma perceptions. Newspaper and TV significantly influence men’s perceptions, whereas cinema and radio also play important roles in altering the stigma perceptions of women in different contexts. Qualitative information reveals that gender stereotype added with some socio-cultural factors (roles, knowledge and vulnerability) also generate perception differential regarding HIV and AIDS in varying circumstances.