Working From Within Endemic HIV Stigma: Developing Canadian Social Workers' Understanding of the Challenges Faced by Newcomers Managing HIV

Abstract

HIV stigma is central to this article's discussion and analysis because of the widely documented negative social and health impacts on Canadians living with HIV in general and ethnocultural communities in particular. The goal of this theoretically and empirically informed article is to provide insight for Canadian social workers on the challenges faced by newcomers infected with or affected by HIV. This is achieved by problematizing sociocultural contexts that sustain stigmatization and exploring how these interact with people living with HIV (PHA). Increased caseloads of migrants PHAs in Canada since early 2002 means that social workers throughout Canada have had to adjust and acquire new competencies. This article is informed by field research and social work practice with newcomers in three Canadian cities. HIV stigma is endemic in Canada, and this article posits that social workers with an increased critical awareness about stigma on individual, social and translocal levels can best support migrant PHAs. This article concludes with two key messages for social workers.