Concealing an HIV-Positive Status in Medical Settings: Discussions in Russian Online Forums.

Concealment of diagnosis is one of the most important manifestations of HIV-related stigma, which is a major barrier to addressing the growing HIV epidemic in Russia. The purpose of our research was to understand how and why people living with HIV (PLHIV) conceal their HIV status in medical settings. We analyzed data collected through two major Russian online forums for PLHIV.