Pilot Project: Measuring Stigma in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infections

Measuring Stigma in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infections
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: M. Elle Saine
 

The validity of the HIV Stigma Scale among patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and HCV/HIV co-infection is the subject of this study. The work will validate an instrument to investigate perceptions of stigma among HCV populations. It will use the scale to measure differences in perceptions of stigma across patient populations. This is the pilot study in the Principal Investigator’s dissertation research on perceptions of stigma as a barrier in access to health care among HCV patients. Over 4.5 million people in the United States have HCV, and the incidence is increasing with the opioid epidemic.