Journal
JAIDS-JOURNAL OF ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROMES
Volume 53, Issue -, Pages S98-S103Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181c7df71
Keywords
men who have sex with men; stigma; discrimination; HIV; China
Categories
Funding
- National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center [D43 TW000013]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Objectives: To understand the stigma and discrimination experienced by men who have sex with men (MSM) in Chengdu, and to evaluate their impact on effective HIV prevention. Methods: Focus group discussions and individual in-depth interviews were conducted from June to September 2006. Results: Stigma and social pressure for MSM were reported to mainly arise from their families to get married and have children to protect family reputation and lineage. Few participants reported experiencing stigma and discrimination from friends, colleagues, or general society. Nevertheless, fear of being ostracized because of their sexual orientation was frequently expressed, and was a major barrier for participating in HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Fear of stigma and discrimination related to HIV infection from inside the MSM community was also identified as, a major reason for MSM reluctance to seek HIV testing and treatment. Conclusions: Stigma and discrimination related to homosexual activities and HIV/sexually transmitted disease infection have been major barriers for MSM seeking health services. HIV/AIDS programs must be sensitive to issues of stigma both from outside and inside the MSM community.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available