New research offers insight into how researchers can use their platforms to help end the use of stigmatizing language — ScienceDaily

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“Researchers in any field need to be aware of the language they use to describe the people they study so they don’t inadvertently engage in the use of stigmatizing language,” Algarin said.

For the article, Algarin and her co-authors conducted a content analysis of HIV-related stigmatizing language published in the scientific literature between 2010 and 2020.

They found 26,476 peer-reviewed articles that used variations of the stigmatizing term “HIV/AIDS-infected.” More than a third of these items came from the United States. And the journal that used stigmatizing language the most was one that focused on general science and medicine.

“The use of stigmatizing language in science is worrying, since the words we use are read by health professionals, legislators and journalists, who in turn use this same language when talking about HIV-related issues because they trust in which we are the experts”, Algarin. saying.

The consequences of using terms that stigmatize entire groups of people are well documented. As a social epidemiologist and interventionist, Algarin’s previous work has focused on the impact of stigma on people living with HIV.

In her 2020 articles published in AIDS and Behavior and AIDS Patient Care and STDs, she found that people living with HIV who experienced higher levels of stigma experienced worse mental health and HIV care outcomes.

Elijah Palles has experienced stigmatizing language firsthand in conversations among peers and in healthcare settings. Shortly after he was diagnosed with HIV, he said he met a case manager who was “shocked” that someone “like him” with a job, a car and a house could be living with HIV.

“I felt stupid because I do have resources and I know more, but I hit myself for a while thinking that she is right, I am not the typical person who would get this, and then I had to say, well no, me. I’m just like everyone else who gets this. So that interaction fed my own internalized stigma for a while,” Palles said.

As a member of the Valleywise Health Voices of Hope Speakers Bureau and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Positively You! Ambassador, Palles regularly shares her story to help raise awareness of available resources, combat misinformation, and reduce HIV-related stigma. She recently spoke with Edson College students as part of a county public health presentation.

He says that Algarin’s work on this issue is important and much needed.

“They’re in the driver’s seat of the conversation, and if you’re using a term like ‘infected with HIV’, that’s very stigmatizing because you’re saying someone is infected and that goes back to this idea of ​​clean versus dirty,” Pallés said.

The goal of Algarin’s article was not to call out anyone, but to highlight the real-world impact of the researchers’ work and, more specifically, how the words they use affect people.

“I understand that people doing research may not be intentionally using stigmatizing language, but we need to see this as an opportunity to do better,” Algarín said.

In fact, David Coon, associate dean for support and engagement of research initiatives at Edson College, says there is always room for improvement. And one of the key ways to avoid harmful terminology is to connect with the community and the research population.

“At ASU and Edson College, we take our commitment to social inclusion seriously. Therefore, it is imperative that we listen to the voices of the communities we work with and do our best at every step in terms of the language we use in the way we communicate with and about them. In doing so, we respect their choices about how they identify and want to be represented in the investigation,” Coon said.

Raising the topic has resulted in some positive changes. According to the article, the use of stigmatizing language specific to HIV/AIDS began to decline after the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS released an updated HIV terminology guidelines.

In addition to referencing language guides on the appropriate terms to use, Algarin says there are three specific actions researchers can take to reduce stigma in the scientific literature:

• Be sure to use appropriate terms in the manuscripts you are writing.
• Suggest the use of non-stigmatizing terms when serving as a reviewer.
• If you are a publisher, implement a non-stigmatizing terminology policy in your instructions to authors.

“Implementing these practices can show the communities we work with that we’re not just listening, but actively making changes to respect preferred, non-stigmatizing terminology. I hope these changes bring us one step closer to ending the perpetuation of bullying.” stigma in science,” said Algarín.