Hampton Clarice J, Gillum Tameka L
Department of Psychology, Russell Sage College, Troy, NY, USA.
Cult Health Sex. 2022 Dec;24(12):1619-1633. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2021.1990411. Epub 2021 Oct 22.
Little is known about the experiences of sexual health and intimacy among African American women living with HIV, who account for more than 50% of the women living with HIV in the USA. Public discourse surrounding the sexual health of this population often centres on HIV prevention and transmission. Medical advances such as antiretroviral therapy, biomedical interventions to prevent transmission, and treatment as prevention campaigns highlight the changing trajectory of the illness and the need for a more comprehensive examination of sexuality in relation to HIV-related disease. HIV-related stigma has been found to play a pivotal role in these experiences impacting the self-perceptions, interpersonal relationships and sexual behaviours of women living with HIV. This study utilised a phenomenological approach to examine the ways in which HIV-related stigma impacts the sexual health and experiences of intimacy among African American women living with HIV. In depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with 16 African American women in Upstate New York revealed three emergent themes: (1) rejecting relationships; (2) navigating relationships; and (3) processing sexuality. Findings from the study highlight the ways in which HIV-related stigma affects the sexual health of African American women living with HIV and subsequently results in the renegotiation of sexuality.
在美国，感染艾滋病毒的女性中有超过50%是非洲裔美国女性，但人们对她们的性健康和亲密关系体验知之甚少。围绕这一人群性健康的公众讨论往往集中在艾滋病毒的预防和传播上。抗逆转录病毒疗法、预防传播的生物医学干预措施以及治疗即预防运动等医学进步，凸显了疾病发展轨迹的变化，以及对与艾滋病毒相关疾病的性取向进行更全面审视的必要性。研究发现，与艾滋病毒相关的污名在这些经历中起着关键作用，影响着感染艾滋病毒女性的自我认知、人际关系和性行为。本研究采用现象学方法，探讨与艾滋病毒相关的污名如何影响非洲裔美国感染艾滋病毒女性的性健康和亲密关系体验。对纽约州北部16名非洲裔美国女性进行的深入、半结构化定性访谈揭示了三个新出现的主题：(1) 拒绝恋爱关系；(2) 处理恋爱关系；(3) 对待性取向。该研究结果凸显了与艾滋病毒相关的污名影响非洲裔美国感染艾滋病毒女性性健康的方式，进而导致对性取向的重新协商。
