TY - JOUR AU - Moroz, L.V. AU - Vorozhbyt, O.B. PY - 2018/12/28 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Causes and Types of External Stigma that Result in Discrimination of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C JF - Reports of Vinnytsia National Medical University JA - Rep. of Vinnytsia Nation. Med. Univ. VL - 22 IS - 4 SE - SOCIAL MEDICINE, ORGANIZATION OF HEALTH PROTECTION DO - 10.31393/reports-vnmedical-2018-22(4)-26 UR - https://reports-vnmedical.com.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/571 SP - 720-723 AB - Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is not only a serious medical problem all over the world but it is also accompanied with a range of social problems, among which the most complicated for patients is stigmatization and discrimination. Main causes of occurrence of such notion are the lack of understanding of peculiarities of the disease and a great number of myths about the ways of transmission of this disease. Therefore, a chain of negative consequences occur, which results in decreased self-esteem, complexes, depression of such kind of patients and considerably worsen the quality of life of a patient with CHC. The purpose of this work was to investigate the prevalence of external stigma and to determine with which its species are most commonly found in patients with HCG. Identify the most common causes of its occurrence, establish a link between stigma and duration of the disease, and analyze possible ways to overcome this phenomenon in order to improve the quality of life of patients with CSF. The article introduces the results of the research on the spread of external stigma and definition of its types in 316 patients with CHC, among them males 178 (56.32%), females 138 (43.67%), aged 18 to 65, before the beginning of treatment of patients with medications of direct antiviral action. It was set, that 168 out of 316 patients with CHC confirmed the fact of stigma from the side of surrounding people, what made up (53.16%). Direct dependence between CHC and frequency of stigmatization was found out. It was set that most often patients with stigma occurred in such fields as social (39%), family life (31%), medical aid services (21%) and other types of stigma (8%). Therefore, stigmatization and discrimination of patients with CHC is not only extremely negative social notion but also serious human rights violation. In the opinion of the authors current issue can be overcome only by means of cardinal change of attitude of the society towards it. Thus, it is necessary to create a single algorithm of treatment of CHC patients which will include large scale educational projects aiming to deepen understanding of epidemiological and clinical peculiarities of this disease. These projects have to involve patients and their family members, as well as those who provide medical services and society members on the whole. Consequently, it will lead to a reduction of stigmatization of CHC patients, improvement the quality of their life, decrease of the morbidity level and occurrence of negative consequences. ER -