HIV knowledge and stigma among college students in Southwest China

Abstract Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and factors related to HIV stigma among college students to enlighten them on the development of HIV prevention strategies and better understand the additional benefit of HIV risk reduction. Methods: This study was an analytical, cross-sectional study conducted between October and December 2020 comprising 10 colleges in southwest China. Survey questions included demographic information, HIV knowledge, HIV stigma, and self-esteem. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to summarize the data. Logistic regression was used to analyze factors related to HIV knowledge and stigma. Results: A total of 4,133 participants were recruited in this study. The knowledge level of respondents on HIV was 74.2%. Stigma was highly prevalent in the form of fear of casual transmission (79.8%), moral judgment (71.1%), personal stigma (72.2%), and perceived community stigma (71.8%). The findings demonstrated that a high level of relevant knowledge regarding HIV was consistently associated with lower stigma levels in four dimensions, and that seven variables—, namely, gender, ethnicity, grade, only-child or not, sexual orientation, awareness of the HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic, and self-esteem—, played different roles in affecting various dimensions of HIV stigma. Conclusion: The level of HIV knowledge was low whereas HIV-associated stigma was high among college students in southwest China. Addressing HIV in colleges should incorporate efforts for reducing stigma associated with HIV.