Blaming People With AIDS: Who Deserves to Be Sick?

Sexual health and stigma in urban newspaper coverage of methamphetamine

The epidemic use of methamphetamine in the United States is a growing public health problem. Recently its use has increased among gay men who live in urban areas, with accompanying increases in sexually transmitted diseases. This study examined how methamphetamine and sexual health are framed. It investigated the stigma associated with heterosexuals and gay men. Stories from 13 urban newspapers in cities with large populations of gay men published from 2000 to 2006 were analyzed. Results indicated that methamphetamine and sexual health were framed primarily as an individual, present problem. Stories framed methamphetamine as a health problem slightly more often than as a crime problem, but health was the dominant frame in stories mentioning gay men. Crime was the dominant frame in stories with heterosexuals. Articles tied gay men to sexual health issues. Findings indicate gay men and heterosexuals are stigmatized in news coverage of sexual issues and methamphetamine but in different ways.

Is HIV/AIDS stigma dividing the gay community? Perceptions of HIV-positive men who have sex with men

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 be monitored closely so that we may better understand how to address it.

Attitudes toward HIV-positives in dependence on their sexual orientation * Footnote. The author wishes to thank Margit E. Oswald and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper

Homosexual HIV-positives suffer under a double stigma. Moreover, many heterosexuals still associate HIV/AIDS with homosexuality ( Herek & Capitanio, 1999 ). This study examined the connection between belief in a just world, sexual morality and values on the one hand and attitudes towards HIV-positives on the other. Hundred and ninety-nine subjects evaluated an HIV-positive target (homosexual for half of the subjects, heterosexual for the other half) by means of a semantic differential. Results: in general, homosexual HIV-positives were evaluated more negatively than heterosexual HIV-positives. A moderated regression analysis showed a significant effect of values on the rating of the target.