Inmates with HIV, stigma, and disclosure decision-making.

Seventeen male, former inmates with HIV were interviewed about their experiences with HIV in a jail or prison in the southeastern region of the United States. Participants reported that stereotypes and prejudicial attitudes about HIV/AIDS were widely held by other inmates, and that concerns about HIV/AIDS stigma affected their decisions about HIV disclosure. The results suggest the need to better educate inmates and institutional staff about HIV/AIDS stigma and to increase privacy protection for inmates with HIV, especially in the context of providing medical care and dispensing medications.