"Losing the Phobia:" Understanding How HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Facilitates Bridging the Serodivide Among Men Who Have Sex With Men

Frontiers in Public Health
Kimberly A KoesterJanet J Myers

Abstract

The use of HIV serostatus information has played a pivotal role in partner selection norms. A phenomenon known as serosorting is the practice of selecting a partner based on a perception that they are of the same HIV status in order to avoid transmission from one partner to the other. An understudied aspect of serosorting is that it has a divisive effect-one accepts or rejects a potential partner based on a singular characteristic, the partner's HIV status, and thus excludes all others. This division has been formally referred to as the HIV serodivide. In this study, we explored partner selection strategies among a group of HIV-negative, young men who have sex with men (n = 29) enrolled in a PrEP demonstration project in Northern California. We found that trends in serosorting were in fact shifting, and that a new and opposite phenomenon was emerging, something we labeled "seromixing" and that PrEP use played a part in why norms were changing. We present three orientations in this regard: (1) maintaining the phobia: in which men justified the continued vigilance and exclusion of people living with HIV as viable sex or romantic partners, (2) loosening/relaxation of phobia: among men who were reflecting on their stance on serosor...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 10, 2020·Journal of the International AIDS Society·Hae-Young KimFrank Tanser
Nov 10, 2020·The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC·Anthony K J SmithChristy E Newman
Jan 26, 2021·The Lancet. HIV·Andrew SudlerChristina Mangurian
Jul 8, 2021·Ciência & saúde coletiva·Alma Angélica Villa-RuedaRaquel Alicia Benavides-Torres

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