The impact of HIV-related stigma on HIV prevention, treatment, and the well-being of people living with HIV (PLWH) is well established within the existing literature. HIV-related stigma experiences are compounded by intersections of identity, in that sociocultural processes related to race, gender, sexual orientation, and other identities shape the ways in which PLWH experience HIV-related stigma. However, few studies examine the impact of intersecting identities on HIV-related stigma among PLWH. The studies that exist generally rely on restrictive demographic sampling frames to infer the impact of identity on stigma, rather than assessing participants’ personal perspectives. The current study aims to begin to address this limitation. Twenty-one PLWH were interviewed about their experiences with HIV-related stigma and asked to describe how their identities impacted these experiences. Participants described ways in which intersections of multiple forms of discrimination such as heterosexism, racism, and sexism interact to shape experiences of HIV-related stigma and reinforce systems of marginalization. The findings of this study reflect the dynamic relationships between identity and broader social processes which serve to shape not only stigma experiences among PLWH, but also more expansive social disparities in power and well-being.
