Saleh Lena Denise, Operario Don
University of Oxford, Barnett House, Oxford OX1 2ER, UK.
Soc Sci Med. 2009 Jan;68(2):390-5. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.09.052. Epub 2008 Nov 9.
HIV continues to affect African American populations in the United States at disproportionate levels. Recent reports have described potentially high-risk behaviors of African American men who identify as heterosexual but who engage in secretive sex with other men. These men have been referred to as being "on the Down Low," and this terminology has been used to label subgroups of African American men and explain sexual risks for HIV infection in the African American community. In this paper, we argue that an uncritical use of this terminology for guiding public health and HIV prevention strategies can be problematic and counterproductive because it (a) stigmatizes and exoticizes secretive same-sex sexuality as a unique issue among African American men, and (b) ignores the social conditions under which HIV transmission occurs. We explore some historical roots contributing to current perspectives on African American men's sexuality, describe the use of the term "on the Down Low" and its application to same-sex behavior among African American men, and explain how this term can both clarify and potentially ambiguate efforts to address HIV risk among African American men. Recommendations for research and HIV prevention strategies are also provided.
在美国，艾滋病毒继续以不成比例的水平影响着非裔美国人群体。最近的报告描述了一些自认为是异性恋但却与其他男性进行秘密性行为的非裔美国男性的潜在高风险行为。这些男性被称为“双性恋低调者”，这个术语被用来给非裔美国男性亚群体贴上标签，并解释非裔美国社区中艾滋病毒感染的性风险。在本文中，我们认为不加批判地使用这个术语来指导公共卫生和艾滋病毒预防策略可能会产生问题且适得其反，因为它（a）将秘密的同性性行为污名化并将其异国情调化，视为非裔美国男性中一个独特的问题，以及（b）忽视了艾滋病毒传播发生的社会条件。我们探讨了一些导致当前对非裔美国男性性行为看法的历史根源，描述了“双性恋低调者”一词的使用及其在非裔美国男性同性行为中的应用，并解释了这个术语如何既能阐明又可能模糊解决非裔美国男性艾滋病毒风险的努力。还提供了研究和艾滋病毒预防策略的建议。
