Media representation, perception and stigmatisation of race, sexuality and HIV among young black gay and bisexual men

Abstract

Young Black gay and bisexual men who have sex with men experience stigma related to race, gender expression, sexuality and HIV status. Stigma impacts access to HIV care and prevention as well as interactions with healthcare providers. The amplification of stigma through popular media is under-researched in the health sciences. HealthMpowerment is a mobile phone optimised intervention to reduce sexual risk and support community-building for young Black gay and bisexual men (age 18–30). We analysed Forum conversations from 48 participants, 45.8% living with HIV. Of 322 stigma-relevant conversations, 18.9% referenced the media (e.g. television, news, social media) as a source of stigma. Forum conversations covered media representations of Black gay and bisexual men, media’s influence on identity, and the creation of stigma by association with media representations. Cultural messages embedded in the media may accentuate stereotypes that influence perceptions of Black gay and bisexual men and disregard intersectional identities. HealthMpowerment provided a space to challenge stigmatising representations. Participants used HealthMpowerment to garner social support and celebrate positive media representations. Interventions for young Black gay and bisexual men should consider the influential role of media and include spaces for participants to process and address stigma.

Keywords:

• Men who have sex with men
• people living with HIV
• media
• stigma

Acknowledgements

We thank participants for giving their time and sharing their experiences.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the US National Institute of Mental Health under Grants R21MH105292 and R01MH093275; the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under Grant T32AI007001 and the US National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities under Grant R01MD013623. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the US National Institutes of Health.