Stigma is an intense human experience. Stigma causes suffering and worsens health. This training focuses on recognizing and challenging stigma. In the first section, we explain what stigma is, how it feels, and how to recognize it. In the second section, we explore the ways stigma is entangled in the practices and assumptions of healthcare professionals, often unwittingly.
Dr. Melinda Wharton, deputy director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks to students and faculty at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health during National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) in 2011.
Positive interactions with families to discuss their child’s health can make the difference in promoting positive change, improving health, and reducing overweight and obesity. Sometimes these conversations can be difficult or may feel uncomfortable.