Behaviour Related Stigma Scale (BRSS): A tool to measure behaviour related stigma among key population groups (original) (raw)

Key populations are identified as the groups having the highest risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV due to their behaviour. They face high level of stigma and discrimination as a result of belonging to a key population group. The groups identified as key populations in this study are drug users, men who have sex with men, female sex workers and transgender community. Reducing stigma and discrimination is identified as one of the four critical enablers which help to overcome major barriers to service uptake, including social exclusion and marginalization, criminalization, stigma and inequity among KP. Since there was not tool to assess the level of behaviour related stigma among key populations, the objective of the study was to develop and scientifically validate a tool to assess the behaviour related stigma among key population groups. Methods: Development of the tools consisted of six steps. 1. Operationalizing the definition of stigma 2. Item generation, 3. Analysis of the con...