A Qualitative Analysis of Cultural and Social Vulnerabilities to HIV Infection Among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Asian Youth

A Qualitative Exploration of the Relationship Between Racism and Unsafe Sex Among Asian Pacific Islander Gay Men

“…My findings that racism in the gay community may contribute to unsafe sexual practices among gay API men are not new (Choi et al, 1998;Nemoto et al, 2003;Poon & Ho, 2002;Yoshikawa et al, 2004). However, other researchers examining racism in the gay community, and its influence on unsafe sex among gay API men, have focused only on how racial discrimination may lead to lower self esteem among members of this group.…”

Sexual practices and sex-seeking behaviours among East and Southeast Asian men who have sex with men in Toronto: Implications for HIV prevention

“…thereby inhibiting partners from adopting protection lest it be read as an accusation of infidelity'' (Adam et al, 2003, p. 13-14). This situation makes it difficult for many East and Southeast Asian MSM to negotiate safer sex with their regular partner (Choi et al, 1999;Poon and Ho, 2002;Poon, Ho, Wong, Wong, & Lee, 2005). HIV prevention strategies thus need to support these men to negotiate a clear and unambiguous agreement with their regular partner about safer sex, and to ''deal with Never 2 (16.7%) 1 (9.1%) 0 13 (46.4%) 7 (25%) Less than 6 months ago 4 (33.3%) 2 (18.2%) 3 (75%) 3 (10.7%) 6 (21.4%) 7-12 months ago 0 1 (9.1%) 1 (25%) 5 (17.9%) 9 (32.1%) 1-2 years ago 1 (8.3%) 6 (54.5%) 0 5 (17.9%) 3 (10.7%) 2-4 years ago 4 (33.3%) 1 (9.1%) 0 1 (3.6%) 3 (10.7%) More than 4 years ago 1 (8.3%) 0 0 1 (3.6%) 0 *Due to rounding, proportions may not sum to 100 per cent.…”

“…For example, factors such as negative stereotypes about gay Asian men and social isolation influence the way in which they negotiate safer sex practices, increasing their risk for unprotected anal sex (Nemoto et al, 2003;Poon & Ho, 2002). It is thus important to develop holistic and culturally relevant strategies to address issues such as negative stereotypes and social isolation.…”

“…The study relied on self-reporting. As previously noted by other researchers, sex is considered a sensitive subject in many Asian communities; thus, respondents may be hesitant to fully disclose their sexual behaviours for fear of stigmatization or to be perceived as engaging in more socially acceptable sexual behaviours (Poon & Ho 2002;Poon et al, 2005). While, these factors limit the generalizability of our findings to all East and Southeast Asian MSM, they nevertheless provide some important insights that should not be ignored by HIV prevention educators.…”

‘Race’ and HIV vulnerability in a transnational context: the case of Chinese immigrants to Canada

“…Yet the findings of empirical studies also suggest complex interactions between race and other contextual factors, such as sexuality, gender and the dominant culture of a society. Studies of Latino and Asian men who have sex with men in both Canada and the uSA reveal that men's exposure to social discrimination (racism and homophobia) makes them vulnerable to unsafe sex and to HIV infection (Han 2008;Mizuno et al 2012;Poon and Ho 2002). Internalising White normative notions of masculinity and racial stereotypes in the mainstream gay community, some gay Asian men in Canada were found to have negative feelings about themselves.…”