Table 2

Items developed for STI-related stigma scale, measured on a 10-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 10 = strongly agree)

If you had an STI, you would feel:
Mean (std)
Median (IQR)

1. Dirty
7.11 (3.42)
8 (5, 10)
2. Violated
7.58 (3.24)
10 (5.5, 10)



Someone with an STI:


3. Would know it
5.72 (3.71)
5.5 (1, 10)
4. Could hide it
7.13 (3.31)
9 (5.5, 10)
5. Is damaged goods
3.25 (3.10)
1 (1, 5.5)
6. May not know
8.04 (2.99)
10 (6, 10)



If you had an STI, you would feel:


7. Guilty
5.46 (3.88)
5.5 (1, 10)
8. Embarrassed
6.25 (3.86)
8 (1, 10)



At the clinic:


9. Everyone would know if you were being tested for an STI
2.43 (2.82)
1 (1, 2)
10. Staff are discreet
9.43 (1.62)
10 (10, 10)



(Only) women .......... get STIs:


11. Who have slept around
2.94 (3.09)
1 (1, 5.5)
12. Should know better than
4.69 (3.73)
3 (1, 9)
13. Who aren't careful
4.19 (3.58)
3 (1, 7)



If someone has an STI:


14. People will think she is a bad person
4.27 (3.28)
3.5 (1, 6)
15. People will gossip
5.31 (3.41)
5.5 (1, 8)
16. Health workers will think poorly of her
2.86 (2.74)
1 (1, 5.5)



If you had an STI:
17. Your partner would be angry with you
7.28 (3.47)
10 (5, 10)



If someone has an STI:
18. People will think she is stupid
3.58 (3.04)
1.75 (1, 5.5)

Rusch et al. BMC Women's Health 2008 8:21   doi:10.1186/1472-6874-8-21