 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
|
| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Rafael M. Diaz, PhD, Cesar E. Chavez Institute, San Francisco State University, 3004 16th Street, suite 301, San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-522-5808, rmdiaz@sfsu.edu
The presentation reports qualitatively (N= 293) and quantitatively (N=912) the nature and prevalence of HIV/AIDS stigmatization among a probability sample of self-identified Latino gay/bisexual men in three US cities, and the impact that such stigmatization has on the mental health and well-being of HIV positive men. In the context of focus groups, HIV/AIDS stigma was expressed in terms of negative and morally demeaning descriptions of HIV-infected individuals, as well as by a resistance to relate –- sexually or romantically— to them. In the quantitative survey, 57% of HIV-negative men believed that HIV-positive individuals are responsible for getting infected and 46% believed that HIV positive persons are to be blamed for the spread of AIDS. 82% of HIV-negative men felt that sex with HIV positive men is dangerous, with 57% saying that they are not willing to have sex with an HIV positive person, even if condoms are available and 57% reporting that they are not willing to have an HIV-positive person as a boyfriend or girlfriend. Not surprisingly, nearly half (46%) of all HIV-positive participants reported having been treated unfairly because of their serostatus and 45% believed that they had to hide their status to find acceptance from their families and friends. The overwhelming majority (82%) of HIV positive men thought sexual partners might reject them if they knew their HIV serostatus. In multivariate analyses, HIV stigmatization predicted significant portions of variance for HIV positive men in measures of social isolation, low self-esteem and reported psychological symptoms, including suicidal ideation.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Latino, Gay Men
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.