This study is designed to describe the HIV related stigmatizing attitude and practice among the health
care workers in Nasarawa State, Northern Nigeria. This study is an analytical cross-sectional study.
Multistage sampling technique was used to obtain a representative sample and structured selfadministered
questionnaire was used to collect relevant information. About half (40.9%) of the health
care workers do not know their HIV status, 0.5% were positive and 5.2% refuse to disclose their HIV
status. Only 1.7% of the health care workers reported giving confidential information to a patient's
family member or relatives without the patient's consent in the last 6 months and 3.1% of health
workers supported mandatory HIV testing for all health care providers. HIV related stigmatization
attitude was highest among the Medical Doctors (OR = 2.21, C.I = 0.90 to 5.4) and the hospital orderlies
(OR = 1.90, C.I = 0.83 to 4.40), those who work in tertiary hospitals OR = 2.39 (C.I = 1.37 to 4.18), female
gender (OR = 0.92, C.I = 0.55 to 1.53), private hospitals (OR = 1.06, C.I = 0.61-1.83), urban areas (OR =
1.48, C.I = 0.83 to 2.66) and those that had recent HIV/AIDS related training or workshops (OR = 3.39, C.I
= 0.34 to 34.13). The study concludes that HIV related stigmatization is mostly prevalent in tertiary
facilities among the health care workers in Northern Nigeria. Interventions to address attitudes and
cultural beliefs not necessarily scientific matters may be the key towards reduction of HIV related
stigmatization among the health care workers in Northern Nigeria and other similarly low income
populations.