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HIV and AIDS Related Stigma: A Necessary Protective Mechanism for Children in High Exposure Areas?

Much research conducted within the context of stigma related to HIV and AIDS focuses on the effects of stigma without reflecting on the complex social processes which contribute to its construction. In order to render HIV and AIDS interventions and treatment strategies more effective, it is important to consider the function of stigma. This study reflects on the complex social processes underlying children's understandings and construction of stigma related to HIV and AIDS. The study used qualitative interview and focus group data generated in a project on barriers to learning. The findings suggest that the process of stigma construction functions as a protective othering response that may provide a necessary psychological defence in the often overwhelming context of HIV and AIDS. A focus on how children make sense of stigma is at the heart of changing future health behaviours in this context.