Gender differential in media access and perceived HIV-related stigma in Nigeria

Nigeria is among the highest HIV/AIDS burden countries worldwide. Stigmatization against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) has implications for the coping, morbidity, and mortality associated with the disease. We examined the relationship between media access and perceived HIV-related stigma (PHS) in Nigeria. This cross-sectional design study used national survey data (n=34,378). A multi-stage sampling approach was used for sample selection. PHS was measured using five variables. Data were analyzed using a generalized linear model (α0.05). PHS was higher among males (82.0%) than among females (75.1%). The multivariable analysis revealed that the mean PHS score was higher among individuals with none and poor media access than those with good access and higher among males than females (p<0.05). PHS was high in Nigeria, and good access to media reduced its risk. Including media access and sex as the key variables while designing strategies to reduce PHS in Nigeria is strongly recommended.