Understanding and Challenging Stigma toward ... - Pact Cambodia

A12
How Stigma toward
Men who Have Sex with Men
Fuels the HIV Epidemic
3. Summary: Bring the session to a close by summarizing the main points
which participants have made during the exercise. In giving your summary you
may use some of the following points, if they have not already been mentioned by
participants.
Some people believe that stigmatizing MSM will push them to stop having sex
with other men. It is important to understand that: a) moral pressure will not
change MSM’s sexual orientation; and b) stigma will make the situation worse,
making MSM hide their sexual activities with other men. This has negative
consequences, which are described below.
Stigma or the fear of stigma stops MSM from:
Using clinics, getting tested for HIV and STIs, and getting condoms and
lubricant from clinics.
Protecting their own health and the health of their sexual partners by
insisting on condom use with partners. A MSM is so happy to find someone
who loves him that he avoids insisting on condoms, because he wants to
hang on to this new relationship. This puts himself and his partner at risk of
getting HIV.
Refusing to marry a woman, even though he does not want to get married.
Disclosing their HIV status if they are HIV positive. Because of HIV-stigma
MSM are afraid to tell others about their HIV status. As a result, they may be
able to avoid HIV-stigma, but as a result may have more difficulty
negotiating condom use, accessing services, support, and treatment for
HIV, and therefore be at more risk for transmitting HIV to their partners, both
male and female.
It is the fear of being stigmatized which stops MSM from taking appropriate
action to protect their health, and thereby the health of their partners. It is
this fear which stops MSM from accessing health services, finding out their
own status, and negotiating safe sex with partners. This increases the risk that
MSM will contract HIV and pass HIV along to their partners (often both male
and female).
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