The following stigma-related interventions were conducted in this state.
Barbershop stigma intervention for Black men in the U.S. South by Nwakoby et al. (2023)
Study & Intervention Summary
The intervention involves developing an academic-community partnership to explore how barbers and barbershops can improve HIV outcomes for Black men in Nashville, Tennessee. It includes recruiting barbers for HIV training and focus group discussions to identify potential barbershop-based strategies for addressing HIV-related needs. The partnership aims to strengthen the community-based organization's capacity for HIV research and provide access to funding opportunities. The study assesses HIV knowledge and stigma among barbers and explores their potential role in disseminating HIV information and serving as health educators and navigators. The intervention focuses on leveraging barbershops as trusted settings for health education and care navigation to address racial disparities in HIV care outcomes.
Stigma Type Addressed
Perceived
Study Population - Recipients
Other
Intervention Level
Community, Organizational (healthcare, school)
Intervention Setting Addressed
Healthcare, Community (Faith-based organizations, barber shops, etc)
The intervention, Connect to Protect (C2P), aims to advance structural changes to reduce adolescents' risk of HIV exposure by improving access to health information, condoms, and HIV testing. It involves community coalitions led by adolescent medicine clinical units and technical support staff, with objectives such as eliminating parental consent requirements for HIV testing, increasing access to adolescent-friendly HIV testing, and creating safe zones for at-risk adolescents. The intervention assesses the impact of these changes on health behaviors through annual data collection from adolescents over a 4 to 5 year period.
The Healthy Choices intervention aims to reduce HIV-related stigma among youth living with HIV (YLWH) by addressing alcohol use and promoting antiretroviral medication adherence. It is delivered by community health workers in various settings over four face-to-face sessions using Motivational Enhancement Therapy, an adaptation of Motivational Interviewing. The intervention seeks to improve health outcomes and reduce stigma by promoting non-judgmental communication and adapting provider communication styles.
Multi-intervention package for rural older adults with HIV by Walsh et al. (2024)
Study & Intervention Summary
The study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of four remotely-delivered interventions (group-based social support, group-based stigma reduction, individual strengths-based case management, and individual technology detailing) designed to improve care engagement and quality of life among rural older adults living with HIV. The interventions target improving viral suppression and quality of life, and the study assesses their preliminary impact on various health outcomes.
The article describes the Project ACCEPT intervention, a group-based behavioral program aimed at reducing HIV-related stigma in adolescents and young adults newly diagnosed with HIV. The intervention provides HIV/AIDS-related information, coping skills, and social support, guided by the Disability-Stress-Coping model and Social Cognitive Theory. It targets four dimensions of stigma: personalized stigma, disclosure concerns, negative self-image, and concern with public attitudes. The intervention was effective in reducing stigma for male participants but had mixed results for female participants, indicating a need for gender-specific interventions.
Project Adolescents Coping, Connecting, Empowering, and Protecting Together (ACCEPT) (intervention effect on HIV engagement outcomes)
Study & Intervention Summary
The ACCEPT intervention is a gender-specific, group-based program aimed at improving engagement in care for youth newly diagnosed with HIV by addressing stigma, disclosure, relationships, substance use, and future planning. It is based on theoretical models and includes individual and group sessions. The study compares ACCEPT to a health education control condition, showing positive health outcomes such as increased medication use and lower viral loads.
The aim of the article is to evaluate the effectiveness of Project PrIDE, a CDC-funded initiative aimed at expanding PrEP services for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons through health department programs. The intervention involved identifying priority populations, referring them to PrEP providers, and increasing provider capacity, with a focus on health equity and addressing barriers to PrEP use.
Stigma Type Addressed
Perceived
Study Population - Recipients
MSM, Transgender/Gender Diverse Individuals, Healthcare Providers/Staff
The SNAP Out Stigma (SOS) project is a community-based intervention that uses Photovoice to reduce HIV-related stigma for people living with HIV (PLWH) in the Deep South. It creates a safe space for PLWH to share their experiences and discuss topics related to stigma, healing, recovery, and social determinants of HIV through group discussions and individual interviews facilitated by photography.
The SPARK! program is a small grants and capacity-building initiative funded by Gilead COMPASS to address HIV-related stigma in the Southern U.S. It provided grants to 47 CBOs to implement tailored stigma-reduction programs, including traditional media campaigns, social media campaigns, workshops and trainings, and supportive services. The program targeted primarily LGBTQ+ people of color, people living with HIV, and African American populations, and was implemented from 2018 to 2021 across nine Southern states. The aim was to reduce HIV-related stigma and achieve positive outcomes with small funding amounts.
Stigma Type Addressed
Perceived
Study Population - Recipients
General (PLHIV), Other
Intervention Level
Individual - Intrapersonal (Self), Community
Intervention Setting Addressed
Community (Faith-based organizations, barber shops, etc), Individual
The Gilead COMPASS (COMmitment to Partnership in Addressing HIV/AIDS in Southern States) Initiative
Study & Intervention Summary
The study examines the practices of community-based organizations (CBOs) in addressing HIV-related stigma in the Deep South. The Gilead COMPASS Initiative is a key intervention supporting CBOs to reduce stigma. The study identifies gaps in current efforts and suggests scaling up services, particularly in rural areas, through collaborations and innovative delivery methods like telehealth and mHealth.
The YOUNITY Workshop is an adapted intervention from the UNITY Workshop, designed to reduce HIV-related stigma among individuals living with HIV in the Deep South. It is conducted in an experiential group format, focusing on enhancing stigma coping skills, and is led by peer facilitators and a clinical social worker. The intervention was piloted at four community-based organizations, showing feasibility and acceptability. It includes new content on stigma, coping, and disclosure, and is designed to provide ongoing support for participants.
As of 2025, Yes: Tennessee has a HIV criminalization law and sentencing enhancements or sex offender registration (or both) or HIV criminalization law only
HATE CRIME DATA COLLECTION LAW
no
As of 2025, No: Tennessee does not require hate crime data collection
HATE CRIMES BY YEAR
Number of Hate Crimes
0
50
100
150
200
147
100
106
2021
2022
2023
Years
Data view:
Individual Item
Proportion
Have you ever felt that the police refused to protect you because you have sex with men?
11%
Have you ever felt scared to be in public places because you have sex with men?
39%
Have you ever been verbally harassed and felt it was because you have sex with men?
46%
Has someone ever physically hurt you (pushed, shoved, slapped, hit, kicked, choked or otherwise physically hurt you), and do you believe any of these experiences of physical violence was/were related to the fact that you have sex with men?
37%
Have you ever been forced to have sex when you did not want to (by forced, we mean physically forced or coerced to have sex, or penetrated with an object), and do you believe any of these experiences of sexual violence were related to the fact that you have sex with men?
32%
Individual Item
Proportion
Have you ever felt excluded from family activities because you have sex with men?
41%
Have you ever felt that family members have made discriminatory remarks or gossiped about you because you have sex with men?
57%
Individual Item
Proportion
Have you ever felt afraid to go to health care services because you worry someone may treat you poorly because you have sex with men?
33%
Have you ever avoided going to health care services because you worry someone may treat you poorly because you have sex with men?
27%
11.1%
Have you ever felt that the police refused to protect you because you have sex with men?
39.4%
Have you ever felt scared to be in public places because you have sex with men?
46.1%
Have you ever been verbally harassed and felt it was because you have sex with men?
37.3%
Has someone ever physically hurt you (pushed, shoved, slapped, hit, kicked, choked or otherwise physically hurt you), and do you believe any of these experiences of physical violence was/were related to the fact that you have sex with men?
32.4%
Have you ever been forced to have sex when you did not want to (by forced, we mean physically forced or coerced to have sex, or penetrated with an object), and do you believe any of these experiences of sexual violence were related to the fact that you have sex with men?
41%
Have you ever felt excluded from family activities because you have sex with men?
56.7%
Have you ever felt that family members have made discriminatory remarks or gossiped about you because you have sex with men?
33.2%
Have you ever felt afraid to go to health care services because you worry someone may treat you poorly because you have sex with men?
26.5%
Have you ever avoided going to health care services because you worry someone may treat you poorly because you have sex with men?
