"I die silently inside". Qualitative findings from a study of people living with HIV who migrate to and settle in Canada.

We report on qualitative findings from a mixed methods study, examining enacted and internalized stigma during mandatory HIV screening among immigration applicants living with HIV in Canada. Qualitative findings show alignment with characteristics of internalized HIV stigma. We conducted 34 semi-structured interviews, and analyzed the data through thematic analysis, using Intersectionality and the Internalized HIV Stigma Scale as our theoretical and analytical frameworks.

Mandatory HIV screening, migration and HIV stigma in Canada: exploring the experiences of sub-Saharan African immigrants living with HIV in western Canada.

Introduction: In this mixed-methods pilot study, we examined the intersections of the current Canadian immigration policy, mandatory HIV screening during the Immigration Medical Exam (IME) and enacted and internalized stigma for HIV-positive immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in a western Canadian province. We focus on qualitative findings from this study.

Methods: Using the Internalized HIV Stigma Scale (IHSS), we collected data from eight immigrants from SSA living with HIV in a western Canadian province.