How stigmas intersect : experiences of stigma and domestic violence in the lives of women living with HIV in India

Background An increasing number of women are diagnosed with HIV each year in India. Women living with HIV experience more domestic violence than others and both are stigmatized. This thesis explores experiences of intersectional stigma of HIV, domestic violence, and other marginalized identities in women's lives. Methods An interpretive phenomenological approach was taken to understand Indian women's experiences and perceptions of intersectional stigma. Thirty-one semi- structured interviews were conducted with women living with HIV and sixteen with key informants in Kolkata, India. Photovoice work with eight women added to the interview findings. Data was analyzed using thematic network analysis. Findings The findings show that HIV stigma often drives the domestic violence experienced by women living with HIV which is often temporal in nature. Multiple stigmas, such as that of HIV, combine with historic structures of discrimination, such as gender, to worsen the violence experienced by women. The additional marginalized identities are themselves contextual and can be identified through the application of an intersectional lens. The synergistic interaction of multiple stigmas that worsen violence against women has a negative impact on their health. One legal mechanism is the anti-discrimination 2017 HIV Act, but here too several barriers were identified before it could protect women from stigma-related violence. Conclusions The thesis makes a theoretical and empirical contribution to understandings of intersectional stigma of HIV, domestic violence, and other marginalized identities by showing the importance of situating theories of intersectional stigma in particular social contexts. Since people are embedded in the history and culture of the place where they live, no understanding of HIV stigma is complete unless it is viewed intersectionally and placed within the deep rooted and interlocking structures of societal oppression. The thesis shows how such historic oppression combines with HIV stigma to affect women's lives and their health.