Cari Courtenay–Quirk, Richard J. Wolitski, Jeffrey T. Parsons, Cynthia A. Gómez, (2006). Is HIV/AIDS Stigma Dividing the Gay Community? Perceptions of HIV–positive Men Who Have Sex With Men. AIDS Education and Prevention: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 56-67.
doi: 10.1521/aeap.2006.18.1.56

Is HIV/AIDS Stigma Dividing the Gay Community? Perceptions of HIV–positive Men Who Have Sex With Men

Cari Courtenay–Quirk1, Richard J. Wolitski2, Jeffrey T. Parsons3, Cynthia A. Gómez4

1 Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/STD, TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

2 Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/STD, TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

3 Hunter College, City University of New York

4 University of California, San Francisco

Address correspondence to Cari Courtenay–Quirk, 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, Mailstop E–37, Atlanta, GA 30333; e-mail: ccourtenay–quirk@cdc.gov



Abstract

Stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS has existed since the beginning of the epidemic, but little is known about HIV/AIDS stigma within the gay community and how it affects men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV. A better understanding of the effects of stigma on this population is needed to reduce it and its harmful effects. Our study used quantitative data from 206 HIV–positive MSM and qualitative data from 250 to document beliefs about HIV/AIDS stigma within the gay community and to measure its effects on sexual risk behaviors, substance use behaviors, serostatus disclosure, and mental health. Stigma was associated with increased levels of anxiety, loneliness, depressive symptoms, engaging in avoidant coping strategies, and history of suicidal ideation. HIV/AIDS stigma exists within the gay community and has a negative effect on the mental health of people living with HIV. HIV/AIDS stigma should bemonitored closely so that we may better understand how to address it.

Cited by

Beena Thomas, Matthew J. Mimiaga, Kenneth H. Mayer, Nicholas S. Perry, Soumya Swaminathan, Steven A. Safren. (2012) The influence of stigma on HIV risk behavior among men who have sex with men in Chennai, India. AIDS Care1-6
Online publication date: 23-Apr-2012.
CrossRef
Xuefeng Li, Hongyan Lu, Xiaoyan Ma, Yanming Sun, Xiong He, Chunmei Li, H. F. Raymond, Willi McFarland, Stephen W. Pan, Yiming Shao, Sten H. Vermund, Yan Xiao, Yuhua Ruan, Yujiang Jia. (2012) HIV/AIDS-Related Stigmatizing and Discriminatory Attitudes and Recent HIV Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Beijing. AIDS and Behavior
Online publication date: 16-Feb-2012.
CrossRef
Chunqing Lin, Li Li, Dai Wan, Zunyou Wu, Zhihua Yan. (2012) Empathy and avoidance in treating patients living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) among service providers in China. AIDS Care1-8
Online publication date: 31-Jan-2012.
CrossRef
Vicki E. Hutton, RoseAnne Misajon, Francesca E. Collins. (2012) Subjective wellbeing and ‘felt’ stigma when living with HIV. Quality of Life Research
Online publication date: 29-Jan-2012.
CrossRef
Robin J. Jacobs, Michael N. Kane. (2012) Correlates of Loneliness in Midlife and Older Gay and Bisexual Men. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services 24:1, 40-61
Online publication date: 1-Jan-2012.
CrossRef
Jessie Naughton, Peter A. Vanable. (2012) An Experimental Investigation of a Dual Process Model of HIV-Related Stigma. Basic and Applied Social Psychology 34:1, 8-19
Online publication date: 1-Jan-2012.
CrossRef
Peter J. Smit, Michael Brady, Michael Carter, Ricardo Fernandes, Lance Lamore, Michael Meulbroek, Michel Ohayon, Tom Platteau, Peter Rehberg, Jürgen K. Rockstroh, Marc Thompson. (2011) HIV-related stigma within communities of gay men: a literature review. AIDS Care1-8
Online publication date: 25-Nov-2011.
CrossRef
Susan Kippax, Edward Reis, John de Wit. (2011) Two Sides to the HIV Prevention Coin: Efficacy and Effectiveness. AIDS Education and Prevention 23:5, 393-396
Online publication date: 1-Oct-2011.
Abstract | PDF (74 KB) | PDF with links (75 KB) 
Nuno Nodin, Pamela Valera, Ana Ventuneac, Emily Maynard, Alex Carballo-Diéguez. (2011) The Internet profiles of men who have sex with men within bareback websites. Culture, Health & Sexuality1-15
Online publication date: 5-Aug-2011.
CrossRef
Jose Catalan, Richard Harding, Elissa Sibley, Claudine Clucas, Natasha Croome, Lorraine Sherr. (2011) HIV infection and mental health: Suicidal behaviour – Systematic review. Psychology, Health & Medicine1-24
Online publication date: 11-Jul-2011.
CrossRef
Michele Rees Edwards. (2011) Influence of Social Support on Gay Men Living with HIV. Marriage & Family Review 47:5, 265-288
Online publication date: 1-Jul-2011.
CrossRef
Dano W. Beck, Marlene LaLota, Lisa R. Metsch, Gabriel A. Cardenas, David W. Forrest, Spencer Lieb, Thomas M. Liberti. (2011) HIV Prevention and Transmission Myths Among Heterosexually Active Adults in Low-Income Areas of South Florida. AIDS and Behavior
Online publication date: 3-May-2011.
CrossRef
Mark L. Hatzenbuehler, Conall O’Cleirigh, Kenneth H. Mayer, Matthew J. Mimiaga, Steven A. Safren. (2011) Prospective Associations Between HIV-Related Stigma, Transmission Risk Behaviors, and Adverse Mental Health Outcomes in Men Who Have Sex with Men. Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Online publication date: 30-Apr-2011.
CrossRef
Richard J. Wolitski, Kevin A. Fenton. (2011) Sexual Health, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States. AIDS and Behavior 15:S1, 9-17
Online publication date: 1-Apr-2011.
CrossRef
Jason Bird, David Fingerhut, David McKirnan. (2011) Ethnic differences in HIV-disclosure and sexual risk. AIDS Care 23:4, 444-448
Online publication date: 1-Apr-2011.
CrossRef
B. D. Adam, J. Murray, S. Ross, J. Oliver, S. G. Lincoln, V. Rynard. (2011) hivstigma.com, an innovative web-supported stigma reduction intervention for gay and bisexual men. Health Education Research
Online publication date: 17-Jan-2011.
CrossRef
Sergio Rueda, Katherine Gibson, Sean B. Rourke, Tsegaye Bekele, Sandra Gardner, John Cairney. (2011) Mastery Moderates the Negative Effect of Stigma on Depressive Symptoms in People Living with HIV. AIDS and Behavior
Online publication date: 11-Jan-2011.
CrossRef
Nuno Nodin, Pamela Valera, Ana Ventuneac, Emily Maynard, Alex Carballo-Diéguez. (2011) The Internet profiles of men who have sex with men within bareback websites. Culture Health & Sexuality1
CrossRef
Anthony Lyons, Marian Pitts, Jeffrey Grierson, Rachel Thorpe, Jennifer Power. (2010) Ageing with HIV: health and psychosocial well-being of older gay men. AIDS Care 22:10, 1236-1244
Online publication date: 1-Oct-2010.
CrossRef
Cynthia K. Pope, Gerald Shoultz. (2010) An interdisciplinary approach to HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination in Belize: the roles of geography and ethnicity. GeoJournal
Online publication date: 7-Apr-2010.
CrossRef
Thomas J. Schoeneman, Katherine A. Schoeneman-Morris, Jelena Obradovic, Liesl Beecher-Flad. (2010) Social Representations of AIDS: Pictures in Abnormal Psychology Textbooks, 1984-2005. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 40:1, 13-35
Online publication date: 1-Jan-2010.
CrossRef
John B. F. de Wit, Garrett P. Prestage, Ian R. Duffin. (2010) Gay men: current challenges and emerging approaches in HIV prevention. New South Wales Public Health Bulletin 21:4, 65
Online publication date: 1-Jan-2010.
CrossRef
Richard J. Wolitski, Sherri L. Pals, Daniel P. Kidder, Cari Courtenay-Quirk, David R. Holtgrave. (2009) The Effects of HIV Stigma on Health, Disclosure of HIV Status, and Risk Behavior of Homeless and Unstably Housed Persons Living with HIV. AIDS and Behavior 13:6, 1222-1232
Online publication date: 1-Dec-2009.
CrossRef
Gretchen Clum, Shang-En Chung, Jonathan Ellen, The Adolescent Medicine Trials Netw. (2009) Mediators of HIV-related stigma and risk behavior in HIV infected young women. AIDS Care 21:11, 1455-1462
Online publication date: 1-Nov-2009.
CrossRef
Scott Edward Rutledge. (2009) Formation of Personal HIV Disclosure Policies among HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Patient Care and STDs 23:7, 531-543
Online publication date: 1-Jul-2009.
CrossRef
C. Logie, T. M. Gadalla. (2009) Meta-analysis of health and demographic correlates of stigma towards people living with HIV. AIDS Care 21:6, 742-753
Online publication date: 1-Jun-2009.
CrossRef
Kristin E. Henkel, Krysten Brown, Seth C. Kalichman. (2008) AIDS-Related Stigma in Individuals With Other Stigmatized Identities in the USA: A Review of Layered Stigmas. Social and Personality Psychology Compass 2:4, 1586-1599
Online publication date: 1-Jul-2008.
CrossRef
R. Travers, M. G. Wilson, S. Flicker, A. Guta, T. Bereket, C. McKay, A. van der Meulen, S. Cleverly, M. Dickie, J. Globerman, S. B. Rourke. (2008) The greater involvement of people living with AIDS principle: theory versus practice in Ontario's HIV/AIDS community-based research sector. AIDS Care 20:6, 615-624
Online publication date: 1-Jul-2008.
CrossRef
Frank H. Galvan, E. Maxwell Davis, Denedria Banks, Eric G. Bing. (2008) HIV Stigma and Social Support among African Americans. AIDS Patient Care and STDs 22:5, 423-436
Online publication date: 1-May-2008.
CrossRef
Laura M. Bogart, Burton O. Cowgill, David Kennedy, Gery Ryan, Debra A. Murphy, Jacinta Elijah, Mark A. Schuster. (2008) HIV-Related Stigma among People with HIV and their Families: A Qualitative Analysis. AIDS and Behavior 12:2, 244-254
Online publication date: 1-Mar-2008.
CrossRef
Deborah Bray Preston, Anthony R. D'Augelli, Cathy D. Kassab, Michael T. Starks. (2007) The Relationship of Stigma to the Sexual Risk Behavior of Rural Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Education and Prevention 19:3, 218-230
Online publication date: 1-Jun-2007.
Abstract | PDF (606 KB) | PDF with links (203 KB) 
Adam W Carrico, Mallory O Johnson, Stephen F Morin, Robert H Remien, Edwin D Charlebois, Wayne T Steward, Margaret A Chesney. (2007) Correlates of suicidal ideation among HIV-positive persons. AIDS 21:9, 1199-1203
Online publication date: 1-May-2007.
CrossRef