Perspectives on Intersectionality and Healthcare-Related Stereotypes from Indonesians with Stigmatized Health Problems

Abstract

The concept of "intersectionality" highlights how disparities in society and repressive traits like sexual orientation, gender, and poor interact with the effects of medical stigma.

Background: The idea of "intersectionality" describes how the experience of health-related stigma overlaps with other adversities resulting from a variety of societal injustices and oppressive identities such as gender, sexuality, and poverty.

Objective: The primary goal of this work is to provide viewpoints on the intersectionality and healthcare-related preconceptions from people in Indonesia with stigmatized illnesses by examining the integration of discrimination and other difficulties at the points of intersection of health and other forms of social discrimination among Indonesians with stigmatized illnesses.

Methods: For the purpose of this qualitative investigation, 40 Indonesians living in Jakarta and West Java during March and June 2018 who were suffering from one of the four stigmatizing illnesses (HIV, leprosy, schizophrenia, or diabetes) were questioned. Themes evaluation of information was done using a combined inductive-deductive foundation method.

Results: The participants reported gender and socioeconomic class as the two primary intersectional inequalities, followed by religion, age, co-morbidity, disability, and sexual orientation. While religion and age presented challenges that had a negative impact on participants on a macro and meso level, they were able to lessen the micro level stigmatizing experiences by boosting self-acceptance and self-confidence.

Conclusion: This study showed links among the repression an individual may feel due to other socioeconomic disparities in their daily lives and discrimination relating to their wellbeing. In order to tackle the multimodal discrimination that those with branded health problems endure, results urge for coordinated multiple stages and intersecting stigma reduction treatments. This is since it is essential to acknowledge and appreciate the many facets of these individuals' lives.