Sexual identity and HIV status influence the relationship between internalized stigma and psychological distress in black gay and bisexual men

ABSTRACT

Experiences of internalized homophobia and HIV stigma in young Black gay and bisexual men (GBM) may lead to psychological distress, but levels of distress may be dependent upon their sexual identity or HIV status. In this study, we set out to explore the associations between psychological distress, sexual identity, and HIV status in young Black GBM. Participants were 228 young Black GBM who reported on their psychological distress, their HIV status, and their sexual identity. Results indicated that internalized homophobia was significantly related to psychological distress for gay men, but not for bisexual men. HIV stigma was related to psychological stress for HIV-positive men, but not for HIV-negative men. Results indicate a need for more nuanced examinations of the role of identity in the health and well-being of men who have sex with men.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV/AIDS
• mental health
• substance use
• sexual behavior

Acknowledgement

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention or the National Institutes of Health. We acknowledge the contributions of other members of the Society, Psychology, and Health Research (SPHeRe) Lab at Columbia University: Jill Pace, Kirk Grisham, Emily Cherenack, and Kalvin Laveille.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Melissa R. Boone http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4835-9579

Stephanie H. Cook http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4505-0813

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention award [U01 P000700] and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health awards [T32 DA007233], [T32 DA017629], [P50 DA010075].