Shame, self-acceptance and disclosure in the lives of gay men living with HIV: An interpretative phenomenological analysis approach

Abstract

Objective: HIV-related stigma is a major driver of poor prognosis for the treatment and reduced spread of HIV. The present article provides a qualitative analysis surrounding various themes related to stigma and shame as a result HIV.

Design: Eight gay men recruited from a community HIV clinic contacted the researchers in response to a study involving participation in a structured, eight-week group intervention for HIV-related stigma. Following this group, three men took part in open-ended interviews about their thoughts and experiences.

Methods: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to examine the participants’ experiences surrounding shame and stigma related to living with HIV.

Results: Three superordinate themes were identified: social support and the disclosure of serostatus, stigma associated with serosorting and attempts to negotiate a spoiled identity.

Conclusion: In San Francisco, a city with a great deal of acceptance surrounding HIV and a large, politically active community of persons living with HIV, gay men continue to struggle with disclosure and stigma. This stigma may be an unexpected result of a high degree of HIV testing and attempts by both HIV-positive and negative gay men to practise serosorting.

Keywords:

• HIV
• attempting to negotiate a spoiled identity
• disclosure
• acceptance
• stigma
• shame
• IPA
• gay

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the New Investigator Award from the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies Innovative Grants Program 2010. We also thank the participants, as well as Aishat Giwa, Megan Sirna, Lauren McGuire, and Jessie Murphy for administrative and logistic support for this study.