Eliminating racial/ethnic HIV disparities requires HIV-related stigma reduction. African-American churches have a history of addressing community concerns, including health issues, but may also contribute to stigma. We developed and pilot tested a faith-based, anti-stigma intervention with 12 African-American churches in rural Alabama. We measured HIV-related stigma held by 199 adults who participated in the intervention (individual-level) and their perception of stigma among other congregants (congregational-level). Analyses of pre- and post-assessments using a linear mixed model showed the anti-stigma intervention group reported a significant reduction in individual-level stigma compared with the control group (mean difference: -.70 intervention vs. -.16 control, adjusted p < .05). Findings suggest African-American churches may be poised to aid HIV stigma-reduction efforts.
Keywords: African Americans; Church-based; HIV prevention; faith-based; intervention; stigma.