Multiple stigmas, shame and historical trauma compound the experience of Aboriginal Australians living with hepatitis C

• Published in: Health sociology review Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 18 - 32
• Main Authors: Treloar, Carla, Jackson, L. Clair, Gray, Rebecca, Newland, Jamee, Wilson, Hannah, Saunders, Veronica, Johnson, Priscilla, Brener, Loren
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 02.01.2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Aboriginal people; Australia; Epidemiology; Hepatitis; hepatitis C; Infections; interviews; Medical research; Native North Americans; Population; semistructured; Social research; Stigma; Studies; Surveillance
• ISSN: 1446-1242; 1839-3551
• DOI: 10.1080/14461242.2015.1126187

Hepatitis C (HCV) is a stigmatised disease due, in part, to an association with injecting drug use. Aboriginal Australians, a stigmatised group, are over-represented in patterns of HCV infections. We examined the experience of Aboriginal Australians living with HCV using qualitative in-depth interviews, paying particular attention to instances where multiple stigma mechanisms (relating to HCV, injecting drug use and Aboriginal identity) overlapped. Stigma held a central role in the experience of most of the 39 participants with reports of exclusion and alienation from families and communities. HCV-related stigma was accompanied by the notion of 'shame' which holds deep cultural significance for Aboriginal people. Participants' accounts revealed overlapping stigma in their perception that others 'automatically' expect Aboriginal people to have a stigmatised disease such as HCV. HCV as a contemporary expression of colonisation was also woven into accounts of HCV-related stigma. Interventions to reduce HCV stigma should be specifically designed for minority populations to account for multiple, overlapping sources of stigma.