HIV/AIDS-related stigma has been linked to poor adherence resulting in drug resistance and the failure to control HIV. This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine stigma and its relationship to adherence in 30 HIV-infected Thai youth aged 14 to 21 years. Stigma was measured using the HIV stigma scale and its 4 subscales, and adherence was measured using a visual analog scale. Stigma and adherence were also examined by in-depth interviews. The interviews were to determine whether verbal responses would match the scale's results. The mean score of stigma perception from the overall scale and its 4 subscales ranged from 2.14 to 2.45 on a scale of 1 to 4, indicating moderate levels of stigma. The mean adherence score was .74. The stigma scale and its subscales did not correlate with the adherence. Totally, 17 of the respondents were interviewed. Contrary to the quantitative results, the interviewees reported that the stigma led to poor adherence because the fear of disclosure often caused them to miss medication doses. The differences between the quantitative and the qualitative results highlight the importance of validating psychometric scales when they are translated and used in other cultures.
Keywords: Thailand; medication adherence; qualitative methods; stigma; youth living with HIV/AIDS.