Abstract
Objective: We sought to quantify the use of person-centered language in research journals that publish high volumes of HIV-related manuscripts. Design: In this cross-sectional study, we searched PubMed for HIV-related articles published between 1/1/2017 and 3/7/2021. After journal reduction and article randomization, title and abstract screening was conducted among 500 studies in a masked, duplicate fashion.
Methods: Studies that were included were systematically searched for prespecified, stigmatizing terms, partial terms, and phrases. Prevalence rates of non-person-centered terminology were totaled, and the total number of articles adherent to person-centered language guidelines were reported. Fisher Exact tests were used to determine associations between PCL adherence and article funding source, type of article, and research, among others.
Results: Among 239 studies included, 21.34% (51) of HIV-related publications in this cross-sectional analysis were found to be PCL adherent. Stigmatizing labels such as “HIV- or AIDS- infected-” and “HIV- or AIDS-” person or patient were used most frequently, with the former appearing in 57.32% of articles and the latter appearing in 30.54% of articles.
Conclusion: Despite numerous guidelines and requirements for the use of person-centered language in research, our findings suggest that an alarming number of HIV-related articles are not following these guidelines. This is concerning because this labeling likely contributes to the persistence of stigma in HIV-centered care. The intentional use of person-centered language in medical research has the potential to minimize the use of stigmatizing language amongst medical professionals, in medical education, in medical records, and in patient encounters, and thus reduce stigma.
Methods: Studies that were included were systematically searched for prespecified, stigmatizing terms, partial terms, and phrases. Prevalence rates of non-person-centered terminology were totaled, and the total number of articles adherent to person-centered language guidelines were reported. Fisher Exact tests were used to determine associations between PCL adherence and article funding source, type of article, and research, among others.
Results: Among 239 studies included, 21.34% (51) of HIV-related publications in this cross-sectional analysis were found to be PCL adherent. Stigmatizing labels such as “HIV- or AIDS- infected-” and “HIV- or AIDS-” person or patient were used most frequently, with the former appearing in 57.32% of articles and the latter appearing in 30.54% of articles.
Conclusion: Despite numerous guidelines and requirements for the use of person-centered language in research, our findings suggest that an alarming number of HIV-related articles are not following these guidelines. This is concerning because this labeling likely contributes to the persistence of stigma in HIV-centered care. The intentional use of person-centered language in medical research has the potential to minimize the use of stigmatizing language amongst medical professionals, in medical education, in medical records, and in patient encounters, and thus reduce stigma.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 70 |
| State | Published - 18 Feb 2022 |
| Event | Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Research Week 2022 : Poster Presentation - Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, United States Duration: 14 Feb 2022 → 18 Feb 2022 |
Conference
| Conference | Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Research Week 2022 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Tulsa |
| Period | 14/02/22 → 18/02/22 |
Keywords
- HIV
- stigma
- patient-centered care
- person-centered language
- discrimination