We seek to describe the social experience of those who are multiply “reduced” in society, and thus experience the layered effects of stigma based on their race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and HIV-status.
Yet the literature does not adequately examine how multiple forms of stigma can have compounded effects in the lives of those who hold multiple marginalised identities. Stigma is rarely treated as a social process, nor is it often contextualised in the lives of people who experience it ( Parker & Aggleton, 2003). Although many years of research have been devoted to understanding the impact of stigma on HIV-related behaviour, stigma has often been perceived as a “thing” which, in public health discourse, is depicted as a barrier to HIV treatments ( Klitzman, et al., 2004) or to HIV testing ( Hutchinson, et al., 2004). Thus, individuals who are positioned at the intersection of social and structural forms of inequality due to their ethnoracial, gender, sexual or class identity may also be stigmatised because of these identities as well. More recently, social scientists have come to view stigma from a more structural perspective, describing stigma as a symptom and byproduct of social and structural inequality, organised along axes of nationality, gender, race/ethnicity, class, and sexual orientation ( Aggleton, Parker, & Maluwa, 2003 Castro & Farmer, 2005). According to Erving Goffman, stigma is due to “an attribute that is significantly discrediting,” causing a person or group of people to be “reduced” in society based on some physical, behavioural, or social trait seen as being divergent from group norms ( Goffman, 1963, p.13). This is particularly true for young Black gay men, a group that in the USA is disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS ( Millett, et al., 2012b).Īlthough stigma is often cited as a factor that relates to HIV vulnerability ( Parker & Aggleton, 2003), the mechanisms through which stigma affect HIV vulnerability are not well understood. With a new approach to HIV prevention that is based on individuals publically seeking out testing and treatment in clinics, as well as disclosing to their sexual partners, it is essential to understand the social meanings surrounding an HIV diagnosis and homosexuality, particularly among gay men of colour. This strongly medicalised approach to HIV prevention increasingly relies on changing individual behaviour, without much attention to the social context or community mobilisation, to promote health and prevent disease transmission. Unfortunately, the emphasis on testing and treatment essentially transforms HIV into an individual level issue, inadequately accounting for the larger social structures that drive the epidemic, particularly stigma, and the barriers that the larger social context might pose ( Van Doorn, 2012).
As such, the strategy relies on individuals, who may not necessarily be comfortable accessing HIV-related services and care, getting tested and, if HIV-positive, regularly seeing their medical provider and taking medications. However, the approach to reducing incidence in communities is largely one focused on testing, linkage to care, and treatment as prevention ( White House Office of National AIDS Policy, 2010). When using a search engine such as Google, Bing or Yahoo check the safe search settings where you can exclude adult content sites from your search results Īsk your internet service provider if they offer additional filters īe responsible, know what your children are doing online.The US National HIV/AIDS Strategy emphasises the need to focus resources on the communities most impacted upon by the epidemic. Use family filters of your operating systems and/or browsers Other steps you can take to protect your children are: More information about the RTA Label and compatible services can be found here. Parental tools that are compatible with the RTA label will block access to this site. We use the "Restricted To Adults" (RTA) website label to better enable parental filtering. Protect your children from adult content and block access to this site by using parental controls. PARENTS, PLEASE BE ADVISED: If you are a parent, it is your responsibility to keep any age-restricted content from being displayed to your children or wards. Furthermore, you represent and warrant that you will not allow any minor access to this site or services. This website should only be accessed if you are at least 18 years old or of legal age to view such material in your local jurisdiction, whichever is greater. You are about to enter a website that contains explicit material (pornography).