The diaTribe Foundation Launches dStigmatize.org as Online Resource to Combat Diabetes Stigma

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The diaTribe Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit dedicated to diabetes education and advocacy, announced today the launch of its new online resource, dStigmatize.org.

The dStigmatize site will feature resources on how to identify diabetes stigma and the many forms it can take, why stigma is harmful, real-life stories of people with diabetes, resources on how to avoid stigmatizing language, and guidance on how to challenge stigma in your sphere of influence.

"Every day, those with diabetes work for their health in ways most people without diabetes can never truly understand," said diaTribe CEO Jim Carroll. "This disease is for the strong, not the lazy."

This website is one of the first resources to focus primarily on addressing diabetes stigma in the United States. diaTribe created this resource after discovering that although meaningful information exists about diabetes stigma, the content is scattered across multiple organizations and research articles. diaTribe saw an opportunity to create a curated, easily-shareable website that makes finding information on diabetes stigma easy and accessible.

At first, dStigmatize will target marketing and communication professionals, writers, media professionals, healthcare professionals, and all those who write or speak about diabetes. Over time, more resources will be created to help everyone understand diabetes stigma and the impact that it has on society and individual lives.

diaTribe believes addressing diabetes stigma is an essential missing element of diabetes care. Though the research on diabetes stigma is limited, results from recent studies underscore the harm it causes. Stigma contributes to worse diabetes health outcomes, worse self-care and diabetes management, worse mental health, and it prevents people from seeking the necessary care they need – especially when they face stigma from a healthcare professional.

"The unkindness of stigma, the voice inside that creates feelings of shame along with those external voices, both intended and unintended, is what we hope to silence through our work," Carroll said. "dStigmatize is the realization of that hope. The beginning of a better way to talk about people and their diabetes. One that awakens empathy in all of us so that the lives of people with diabetes are made better every single day."

SOURCE The diaTribe Foundation