Hey Hazem, how are you, my friend! I hope you are doing just fine! :) Firstly you should know that after any preposition (mostly ''of''), you have to use a verb in the -ing form. The ''having'' used in the context given is considered to be a gerund form that refers to the actual state in which you are at the moment and that which was affected by a condition or an experience you had once in the past. This Grammar Patter is what we call ''The Perfect Participle''. * ''The Perfect Participle'' may be considered as a reduced form of explaining a certain situation that occurred (in the past) whose consequence is still ongoing. You can tell that it is the Perfect form of the Past Participle because it tells you the reason for the action that follows. If anything, it is used to indicate an action that happens long before the action in the main clause. E.g.: ''Having spent ten years in Italy, he could speak Italian fluently''. (After he had spent ten years in Italy, he could speak Italian fluently) E.g.: ''Having attended this course before, Tom knew what to expect.'' (Because Tom had attended this course before, he knew what to expect) * As regards the sentence you provided, you could understand it in other ways, as follows: ''Because these people had had (once in the past) the disease, the RTD spoke with them. ''After having had the disease (once in the past), these people still live with its stigma (they continue to be treated as if they still had the disease) Hope that helps!!!

The 'having' is a gerund form that refers to the state you are in now, which is affected by an experience you had before. (specific) Last month I saw the stars from the countryside. (general) I have seen the stars from the countryside. (current state) Having seen the stars from the countryside, I know how much pollution there must be in the city. Last year I had pneumonia. I have had pneumonia. Having had pneumonia, I wake up each day with a bad cough. (and similar, but more complicated form) Being someone who has had pneumonia, I know what it is like.

RTD spoke with people who had the disease. These people now have a stigma. They are treated as if they are now infectious because they once had the disease.. . Having seen the question answered, I hope you understand better. Having had the question answered, I hope you understand better.

"Having", also is significant in its ending of "ing". This means that some of the detail described is still ongoing in this case or will continue in this case. "Having had" has the meaning that part of the first subject is still ongoing while the possession of the second subject has finished. The diseases has passed but the stigma continues. "having had the disease and stigma" ect. ect. dont be surprised to see the double "had had" this sentence also works. "the coffee she had had had had no effect". if the coffee was still effective currently or she was still taking coffee we would change some of this sentence to having had.