“Sometimes You Just Have to Have a Lot of Bitter to Make It Sweet”: Substance Abuse and Partner Abuse in the Lives of HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men

Abstract

Although links between partner abuse (PA) and substance abuse (SA) are well-documented in the literature, we know less about these relations among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). We conducted a qualitative study with this group (N = 28). Participants reported (1) social modeling of SA in childhood and in adult social networks, (2) initial use of substance to cope with child abuse and neglect, and (3) the reinforcement of problematic SA by experiences of PA, whereby SA led to PA, resulting in increased SA. Recommendations for clinicians working with HIV-positive MSM are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV-positive
• men who have sex with men
• substance abuse
• partner abuse