Anticipated HIV stigma and delays in HIV testing among Brazilian heterosexual male soldiers

ABSTRACT

Anticipated HIV stigma refers to expectations held by individuals regarding social rejection, prejudice, and discrimination if they were ever to be infected by HIV. Much of the prior work on the impact of this anticipated stigma on HIV testing focus on men who have sex with men and transgender women populations, suggesting that higher levels of anticipated stigma contributes to delays in HIV testing. The same association is insufficiently explored in heterosexual men. Thus, the objective of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the association between anticipated HIV stigma and HIV testing in a mainly self-identified as heterosexual (n = 97.4%) sample of 434 Brazilian male soldiers. In this sample, 84.3% of the study participants had never been tested for HIV. Those with higher anticipated HIV stigma were more likely to delay HIV testing. These data suggest that campaigns and actions should target heterosexual men young population, not only sexual and gender minorities. Future research and interventions are warranted to guarantee environments with less stigma and to develop HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among heterosexual men.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV testing
• HIV stigma
• HIV prevention
• HIV young men
• HIV heterosexual men
• risky sexual behaviours

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ramiro Figueiredo Catelan

Ramiro Figueiredo Catelan has a PhD in Psychology and currently works as a clinical psychologist in his private office and as a guest speaker in cognitive-behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy and sexual/gender diversity trainings in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Fernando Martins de Azevedo

Fernando Azevedo is a PhD candidate in Psychology at the Graduate Program of Psychology of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul and currently works as a clinical psychologist in his private office in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Juliana Burges Sbicigo

Juliana Sbicigo has a PhD in Psychology, with a postdoctoral internship at the Graduate Program of Psychology of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, and currently is a Psychology Professor at FACTUM Universitary Center, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Felipe Vilanova

Felipe Vilanova is a social psychologist and a MSc candidate at the Graduate Program of Psychology at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Leticia Pessoa da Silva

Leticia Pessoa da Silva is an undergraduate student in Psychology at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Gabriel Ibarra Zanella

Gabriel Ibarra Zanella is an undergraduate student in Psychology at the Department of Psychology of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Mariana Leonhardt Ramos

Mariana Leonhardt Ramos is a social psychologist and gender/sexual diversity independent researcher in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Angelo Brandelli Costa

Angello Brandelli Costa has a PhD in Psychology, with a postdoctoral internship at the Graduate Program of Psychology of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, and currently is a Social Psychology Professor of the Graduate Program in Psychology and the Graduate Program in Social Sciences of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Henrique Caetano Nardi

Henrique Caetano Nardi has a PhD in Sociology and currently is a Social Psychology Professor of the Graduate Program in Social Psychology of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.