Intersectional stigma and developmental competence among youth living with HIV

Abstract

AbstractHIV continues to heavily burden vulnerable groups including youth, racial/ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Youth living with HIV (YLWH) experience intersecting stigmas that may produce disruptive effects as they navigate adolescence. Considering the dual roles of development and intersectionality, we produce an integrated framework pulling on the constructs of the Process Person Context Time Model—a developmental framework—and the Stigma and HIV Disparities Model—an intersectional framework—to produce a nuanced examination of the processes, persons, and contexts supporting psychosocial and biological resilience among YLWH. Implications for future directions such as expanding theoretical frameworks to address both the developmental and intersectional challenges experienced by YLWH (and/or living with other stigmatized illnesses) and creating policies and practices that support the health of vulnerable youth are discussed.