Discrimination, Vigilance and Experimental Pain Sensitivity in People Living with and Without Human Immunodeficiency Virus

The purpose of this study is to examine associations between discrimination and experimental pain sensitivity in HIV+ and HIV- adults. A total of 121 participants were recruited including 52 HIV+ and 69 HIV- individuals. HIV+ individuals were recruited from the largest HIV healthcare unit in Alabama, and HIV- individuals were recruited by hanging flyers surrounding UAB. Daily discrimination over the past 3 months was measured via the Everyday Discrimination Scale. Pain was measured via a Medoc thermode machine in a laboratory setting. Spearman’s Rho correlations were run while controlling for age. Results indicate that in HIV+ individuals, discrimination was associated with pain habituation at 46 degrees (r = -.391, p =.005) and 48 degrees (r = -.291, p =.040), but not at 44 degrees (r = -.168, p =.242). Daily discrimination was also associated with being a younger age (r = -.342, p =.013). In HIV- individuals, there was no association between discrimination and pain at 44 degrees (r = -.015, p =.906), 46 degrees (r =.094, p =.446), or 48 degrees (r = -.100, p =.415). There is still a disparity in the amount of discrimination and pain that people living with HIV experience. Future work will intervene with exercise therapy and community-based interventions.