He is being held without bond in the Newport News City Jail. They say there are nearly 8, people in Hampton Roads living with HIV and they test hundreds each month. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The mean age of the participants was The mean anticipated HIV stigma score among the participants was 2.
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Our study contributes to the literature by examining the correlates of anticipated HIV stigma in China and exploring the relationship between stigma and emerging technologies i. We found that anticipated HIV stigma was negatively associated with HIVST and disclosure to the health provider, while positively associated with using social media for sex seeking. This finding is consistent with previous studies using different scales and measurements [ 14 , 27 , 30 ].
The level of anticipated stigma we found is higher than that reported among MSM in the United States 2. First, HIV is still severely and commonly believed to be associated with moral deficiency and deviant behaviors in China [ 30 , 31 ]. This is compounded by HIV prevention materials, which may inadvertently increase such stigma through images that seek to frighten people into healthy behaviors [ 27 , 30 , 32 ]. Second, sex education including accurate information regarding HIV transmission is relatively lacking in China.
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This exaggeration effect is especially salient among MSM, as they are commonly depicted as an HIV high-risk population. This is consistent with existing literature showing that general HIV testing history is associated with lower HIV-related stigma [ 16 , 18 , 31 , 33 ]. Admittedly, social and ethical considerations have been raised by scholars, such as the potential for coercion and adverse emotional impacts [ 34 ]. We found that men who used social media for sex seeking had higher anticipated HIV stigma. This is consistent with a Nigerian study showing that online sex-seeking was associated with the higher stigma of same-sex behavior [ 36 ].
A few reasons might explain the connection between anticipated HIV stigma and sex-seeking on social media. First, social media allows individuals to have the ability to create and distribute information, which may facilitate the distribution of inaccurate knowledge regarding HIV that could exacerbate stigma [ 24 ]. Meanwhile, studies in China and the United States showed that MSM were more likely to have greater perceived HIV-related stigma than the general population because they are more likely to know people living with HIV in their community and observe how they are negatively treated by others [ 18 , 25 , 37 ].
We found that sexual orientation disclosure, particularly to healthcare providers, was negatively associated with anticipated HIV stigma. This finding is consistent with previous studies on disclosure and MSM related stigma [ 39 , 40 ], yet inconsistent with another study from that reported that disclosure to medical providers would increase HIV-related stigma due to the prejudice regarding HIV among medical providers [ 27 ]. This inconsistency may reflect the progress that Chinese medical education has made during the last decade, where many anti-HIV stigma projects have been conducted [ 41 , 42 ].
In recent years, community-based organizations have increasingly launched gay-friendly medical service programs, so MSM could disclose their sexuality and concerns regarding HIV more easily when facing a gay-friendly medical provider [ 43 ]. In response, those medical providers could be a source of social support and would be more likely to offer accurate and targeted HIV knowledge and decrease the fear and stigma towards HIV among MSM [ 36 ].
This study has several policy implications. First, more anti-HIV-related-stigma campaigns are needed. More official or public institutions should be involved in generating resources to promote HIV-related knowledge and distribute MSM friendly and accurate knowledge regarding HIV. Due to the rapid growth of social media platforms, and a dearth of online interventions, tailored interventions on social media platforms are urgently needed.
As a cross-sectional study, our study has several limitations.
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First, the study design precludes us from making any casual conclusion, and any results from this study should be interpreted by caution. Second, our questionnaire platform did not allow us to distinguish the number of participants who did not complete the survey from the one who did not sign the informed consent. Third, participants were recruited from a gay mobile application, which tends to be used by young and well-educated MSM [ 45 ].
However, this method could help us reach those hidden populations that are not reached by traditional recruitment methods. Fifth, although our results showed statistically significant correlates of anticipated HIV stigma, the clinical significance of these results need to be further investigated. More qualitative studies are particularly needed in examining the specific mechanism. The finding of this study highlights the opportunities for conducting health campaigns against HIV stigma among MSM and people around them, especially through online platforms.
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A systematic review of interventions to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination from to how far have we come? Arnold C. At-home HIV test poses dilemmas and opportunities. Avoidance from parents, an intimate partner, or a friend was positively associated with depressive symptoms. Counselors should discuss with clients the social support process and how different forms of support seeking and support providing may be more or less useful in coping with HIV.
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