Empowerment through knowledge: Qualitative perceptions of 'undetectable equals Untransmittable' among people living with HIV and tuberculosis in South Africa.

Introduction: Undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U) is an education campaign promoting science that people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who maintain an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV to others. Researchers theorize that undetectable equals untransmittable messaging will decrease HIV stigma by reducing fears of HIV transmission and providing evidence to dismantle discriminatory policies. However, little is known about how people with HIV in South Africa interpret the results of their viral load tests, undetectable equals untransmittable messaging, or its impact on stigma.

Cognitive dissonance in tuberculosis stigma: A mixed methods analysis of tuberculosis stigma measurement in South Africa.

Background: The Patient and Community Perspectives Towards Tuberculosis are the most common measure of tuberculosis (TB) stigma in sub-Saharan Africa. The instrument and its sub-scales (patient and community) have been quantitatively validated but have not undergone qualitative exploration in South Africa.

Methods: We explored whether the Patient Perspectives Towards Tuberculosis adequately represents stigma as experienced by people with TB in South Africa.