Estigma y práctica profesional en la atención de habitantes de calle que usan drogas

Introduction. The stigma of health care personnel toward people who use drugs is a major barrier to accessing health care services. Objective. To identify how the stigma of health care personnel who work with homeless people who use drugs affects their professional practice. Method. Qualitative research with a descriptive scope was carried out based on the narratives of 32 professionals from different areas who work with this population. Results. In the categorical analysis of the transcripts of the audios, a dichotomy of discourses was found, between humanizing and dehumanizing towards street dwellers. Conclusions. The care provided is permeated by the previous judgments that professionals have towards street inhabitants who use drugs and is reflected in forms of intervention ranging from those aimed at improving the quality of life to the directive and repressive practices centered on surveillance, modeling, and punishment.