The invisible urban dwellers: the stigma of People Living in the Streets in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

There is an increase of people living on the streets many of whom are crack users in Brazil and in other Latin American countries. This population suffers from stigmas linked to a perception of fragility of character, as a weak will to stop the drug use and as a dangerous person who is feared by society because perceived as aggressive. The consequences of the stigmas are social isolation, loss of self-esteem, difficulty in accessing health services, which make the user to withdraw from social and health support, aggravating his living conditions. As a methodology, 48 interviews were carried out with workers and users of the Street Clinic. It was possible to notice the stigma internalized by people who are recognized as having the negative characteristics attributed to them, as well as the perception of health professionals of the stigma suffered by this population. The unveiling of stigmas and their analysis can help to reorient a set of care practices to ensure basic rights in health, education, housing and work in order to increase processes of democratization and social inclusion of this population stigmatized and in an extreme vulnerability.