This paper considers how certain functions of online hook-up devices are participating in the emergence of new forms of sexual relation, new distributions of intimacy and new sexual arrangements. ...Though not without precedent, it argues that online hook-up devices generally act in gay culture as 'framing devices', framing sex as a 'no-strings' encounter via their default application. These frames are variously rejected, reconfigured, re-embedded or confounded by participants; they become subject to various forms of overflowing. Understanding this dynamic, its typical forms of connection and estrangement, is pivotal for grasping the emergence of new forms of sexual community and new sexual publics among gay men - and/or 'un-community', as some have put it. My analysis prompts a series of methodological reflections wrought from the encounter it stages between queer theory and Science and Technology Studies. At a time when marriage and monogamy are increasingly monopolising the public discourse of gay life, digital devices are affording novel ways of arranging sex, intimacy and sexual community, with their own qualities and limitations.
Internalized stigma undermines health among people diagnosed with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI), yet limited research has examined how internalized stigma develops. Black gay ...and bisexual men (n = 151) reported their race and sexual orientation internalized stigma once before HIV/STI diagnosis and their HIV/STI internalized stigma monthly for 1 year after HIV/STI diagnosis. Multilevel analyses demonstrated that race and sexual orientation internalized stigma before diagnosis were associated with greater HIV/STI internalized stigma after diagnosis. More research is needed to understand how internalized stigma develops, including within the context of other identities and broader environmental characteristics to inform intervention efforts.
A marriage of convenience has been defined as a reciprocal relationship between a gay man and a lesbian that provides a way to cope with social, cultural, family, and political stress, but this ...definition may be oversimplified in explaining this type of reciprocal relationship in a guanxi (the system of social networks and influential relationships that facilitate business and other dealings) society such as China. Such relationships are undergoing a process of development and change rather than remaining stable in Chinese guanxi society. This paper explores the nature and process of the development of marriages of convenience between gay men and lesbians in China. The data were collected and analyzed according to the grounded theory method. A theoretical sampling strategy was employed, and a sample of 15 people involved in so‐called marriages of convenience was recruited from gay and lesbian communities in China. In our research, we found that the marriage relationships documented in this study included four stages: (1) men dang hu dui (being matched for marriage), (2) partnership, (3) friendship, and (4) kinship. Building a suitable relationship in a marriage of convenience can help gay men and lesbians meet social expectations while simultaneously retaining a degree of autonomy for their own homosexual identities. Maintaining and developing guanxi is a basic method of conflict resolution in Chinese society. Meanwhile, the ambiguity of the relationship within a marriage of convenience may cause conflict in these marriages. Treatment modalities are recommended to reorganize the system structuring these marriages and clarify ambiguous family boundaries by redefining who is in the family unit and his and her associated roles and responsibilities in the marriage of convenience. We conclude that more research is warranted to investigate how family therapy can be adapted for Chinese gay and lesbian individuals.
Resumen
Un matrimonio de conveniencia se ha definido como una relación recíproca entre un hombre homosexual y una lesbiana que ofrece una manera de afrontar el estrés social, cultural, familiar y político. Sin embargo, esta definición puede ser demasiado simple para explicar este tipo de relación recíproca en una sociedad guanxi (el sistema de redes de contactos y de relaciones influyentes que facilitan los negocios y otros acuerdos), como la de China. Dichas relaciones están sufriendo un proceso de desarrollo y cambio en lugar de mantenerse estables en la sociedad guanxi de China. Este artículo analiza la índole y el proceso de desarrollo de los matrimonios de conveniencia entre gais y lesbianas en China. Los datos se recopilaron y se analizaron de acuerdo con el método de la teoría fundamentada. Se empleó una estrategia de muestreo teórico y se reunió una muestra de 15 personas implicadas en matrimonios denominados de conveniencia pertenecientes a comunidades gais y lesbianas de China. En nuestra investigación descubrimos que las relaciones conyugales documentadas en este estudio constaban de cuatro etapas: 1) men dang hu dui (búsqueda de pareja para casarse), 2) sociedad, 3) amistad, y 4) parentesco. La construcción de una relación adecuada en un matrimonio de conveniencia puede ayudar a los gais y a las lesbianas a satisfacer expectativas sociales y, a su vez, a conservar un grado de autonomía para sus propias identidades homosexuales. El mantenimiento y el desarrollo del sistema guanxi es una manera básica de resolver conflictos en la sociedad china. Mientras tanto, la ambigüedad de la relación dentro de un matrimonio de conveniencia puede causar conflicto en estos matrimonios. Se recomiendan modalidades de tratamiento para reorganizar el sistema que estructura estos matrimonios y para aclarar los límites familiares ambiguos mediante la redefinición de quiénes integran el grupo familiar y de los roles y las responsabilidades asociados a cada uno en el matrimonio de conveniencia. Llegamos a la conclusión de que se requiere más investigación con el fin de investigar cómo la terapia familiar puede adaptarse para las personas gais y lesbianas de China.
摘要
形婚（形式婚姻）被定义为男同性恋和女同性恋之间的互惠式关系，它提供了一种应对社会、文化、家庭和政治压力的方法, 但单纯 用互惠来定义这个关系或许过于简单化，不足以解释这类关系类型，尤其是在中国这样一个关系社会(在关系社会中，通过社交网 络及有影响力的关系,可以促进商业和其他交易往来)。在中国的“关系”社会中，这种关系并不是一成不变的，而是处在一个不断发 展变化的过程中。本文探讨了中国男同性恋与女同性恋之间形式婚姻的性质和发展过程。本研究通过扎根理论方法对数据进行收集 和分析。我们采用了理论抽样策略，从中国的同性恋群体中招募了15名“形式婚姻”的参与者。在我们的研究中，我们发现本研究记 录的婚姻关系包括四个阶段:1)门当户对(配对结婚)；2)伙伴关系；3)友谊；4)亲属关系。该研究发现同性恋个体在形式婚姻中建立一 种适合的关系，可以帮助男女同性恋者在满足社会期望的同时，对自己的同性恋身份保持一定程度的自主权。在中国社会保持和发 展关系是解决冲突的基本办法。另外形式婚姻中关系的模糊性也会引起婚姻关系以及个人同性亲密关系的冲突。本文建议家庭治疗 的策略包括重组这些婚姻体系的结构，并通过澄清谁是家庭成员以及他或者她在形式婚姻中相关的角色和责任来澄清模糊的家庭 界限。我们建议需要更多的研究来研究家庭治疗如何适用于中国的男女同性恋个体。
Monkeypox is the most prevalent Orthopoxvirus zoonosis infection since the eradication of smallpox. The current multi-country outbreak involves five WHO regions affecting mainly Europe. Accurate ...clinical and virological aspects of the disease outside endemic areas are needed.
We performed an observational study of cases diagnosed in Madrid (Spain) (May/June 2022). Confirmation from vesicular lesions swabs, Orthopoxvirus real-time PCR, sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, and direct detection by Electron microscopy was performed. In addition, a structured epidemiological questionnaire was completed systematically to gather sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral data from all confirmed cases.
We extracted data from 48 patients, all cisgender men. The median age was 35 years (IQR 29 - 44), and 87.5% were MSM. The most prevalent symptoms were the presence of vesicular-umbilicated and pseudo-pustular skin lesions (93.8%), asthenia (66.6%), and fever (52.1%). In addition, the location of the lesions in the genital or perianal area was related to the role in sexual intercourse (p<0.001). Sequencing analysis indicated the virus circulating in Spain belongs to the western African clade. Like the other European cases in the outbreak, the Spanish isolates are a direct descendant of viruses previously detected in Nigeria, the UK, Singapore, and Israel in 2017-2018.
Monkeypox is an emerging infectious disease in Europe where community transmission is reported, mainly in MSM. The first symptom was skin lesions instead of classical fever and rash. The disease follows a self-limited course, and there have been no cases with a serious presentation or severe complications.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Bangkok may experience multiple psychosocial health conditions, such as substance use, suicidality, and a history of sexual abuse. These factors may contribute to ...HIV vulnerability in a syndemic way. A syndemic is defined as a number of synergistically interacting health conditions producing excess disease in a population. The objective of this study is to examine whether psychosocial health conditions among MSM have a syndemic association with HIV prevalence and HIV incidence. To do this, we evaluated psychosocial health conditions and their associations with unprotected sex, HIV prevalence and HIV incidence in a cohort of Thai MSM (
N
= 1,292). There was a positive and significant association between the number of psychosocial health conditions and increased levels of unprotected sex and HIV prevalence at study baseline. The number of psychosocial health conditions at baseline was also associated with increased HIV incidence during follow-up (no conditions, HIV incidence = 15.3 %; one to three conditions, 23.7 %; four to five conditions, 33.2 %). The number of psychosocial health conditions was positively associated with HIV risk behavior and HIV prevalence and incidence. Prevention efforts among MSM need to address the existence of multiple psychosocial health conditions and their synergy to effectively decrease the spread of HIV infection.
Existing research depicts intergroup prejudices as deeply ingrained, requiring intense intervention to lastingly reduce. Here, we show that a single approximately 10-minute conversation encouraging ...actively taking the perspective of others can markedly reduce prejudice for at least 3 months. We illustrate this potential with a door-to-door canvassing intervention in South Florida targeting antitransgender prejudice. Despite declines in homophobia, transphobia remains pervasive. For the intervention, 56 canvassers went door to door encouraging active perspective-taking with 501 voters at voters' doorsteps. A randomized trial found that these conversations substantially reduced transphobia, with decreases greater than Americans' average decrease in homophobia from 1998 to 2012. These effects persisted for 3 months, and both transgender and nontransgender canvassers were effective. The intervention also increased support for a nondiscrimination law, even after exposing voters to counterarguments.
Objective: To compare risk of suicide ideation and attempts in adolescents with 1) gay, lesbian, or bisexual (GLB) identity, 2) "unsure" identity, or 3) heterosexual identity with same-sex ...attraction/fantasy or behavior, to heterosexual identity without same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior. Method: A total of 1,856 students 14 years of age and older from 14 public and private high schools in Montreal, Quebec, were surveyed anonymously. The survey included items assessing sexual orientation, health risk behaviors, and suicidal ideation and attempts. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess risk factors for suicidal ideation and attempts. Results: In all, 58 (3.1%) adolescents self-identified as GLB, 59 (3.2%) as unsure, and 115 (6.2%) as heterosexual with same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior. Compared with heterosexually identified youth without same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior (N = 1,624; 87.5%), in multivariable analyses, 12-month suicidal ideation was significantly higher for both GLB (odds ratio OR = 2.31, 95% confidence interval CI = 1.22-4.37) and unsure youth (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.38-5.08). Twelve-month suicide attempts were significantly elevated for GLB youth (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.15-4.35) and high, although not statistically significant, for unsure youth (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 0.77-3.36). Heterosexual identity with same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior was not significantly associated with increased suicidal ideation (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 0.76-2.08) or attempts (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.55-1.91) in multivariable analyses. Conclusion: Compared with heterosexual youth without same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior, adolescents with GLB and unsure identities were at greater risk of suicidality. However, youth who reported same-sex attraction or behavior but a heterosexual identity were not at elevated risk. (Contains 3 tables.)
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective at reducing new HIV infections among adherent users. However, there are potential benefits of PrEP beyond HIV prevention that remain understudied, ...particularly among young Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). In 2018, we conducted six focus groups (n = 36) in four midwestern cities: Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Detroit, MI; and Kansas City, MO with current and former PrEP users who identified as Black MSM. The focus groups covered medical care and provider experiences, patterns of PrEP use and adherence, relationships while on PrEP, and PrEP stigma. Results revealed four unanticipated benefits of PrEP for young Black MSM: (1) improved engagement in medical care, (2) reduced sexual and HIV anxiety, (3) increased sexual comfort and freedom, and (4) positive sexual relationships with people living with HIV. Findings from this study fill a gap in our understanding of the potential benefits of PrEP beyond HIV prevention. Public health campaigns and messaging around PrEP should incorporate such benefits to reach young Black MSM who may be motivated by benefits beyond HIV prevention.
To determine whether the social environment surrounding lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth may contribute to their higher rates of suicide attempts, controlling for individual-level risk factors.
A ...total of 31 852 11th grade students (1413 4.4% lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals) in Oregon completed the Oregon Healthy Teens survey in 2006-2008. We created a composite index of the social environment in 34 counties, including (1) the proportion of same-sex couples, (2) the proportion of registered Democrats, (3) the presence of gay-straight alliances in schools, and (4) school policies (nondiscrimination and antibullying) that specifically protected lesbian, gay, and bisexual students.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth were significantly more likely to attempt suicide in the previous 12 months, compared with heterosexuals (21.5% vs 4.2%). Among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth, the risk of attempting suicide was 20% greater in unsupportive environments compared to supportive environments. A more supportive social environment was significantly associated with fewer suicide attempts, controlling for sociodemographic variables and multiple risk factors for suicide attempts, including depressive symptoms, binge drinking, peer victimization, and physical abuse by an adult (odds ratio: 0.97 95% confidence interval: 0.96-0.99).
This study documents an association between an objective measure of the social environment and suicide attempts among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. The social environment appears to confer risk for suicide attempts over and above individual-level risk factors. These results have important implications for the development of policies and interventions to reduce sexual orientation-related disparities in suicide attempts.
To assess the performance of US health centers during the first year of required sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data reporting and to estimate the baseline proportion of lesbian, gay, ...bisexual, and transgender patients accessing health centers.
We conducted a secondary analysis of SOGI data from 2016. These data were reported by 1367 US health centers caring for 25 860 296 patients in the United States and territories.
SOGI data were missing for 77.1% and 62.8% of patients, respectively. Among patients with data, 3.7% identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or something else; 0.4% identified as transgender male or female; 27.5% did not disclose their sexual orientation; and 9.3% did not disclose their gender identity.
Although health centers had a high percentage of missing SOGI data in the first year of reporting, among those with data, the percentages of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people were similar to national estimates, and disclosure was more than 70%. Future data collection efforts would benefit from increased training for health centers and improved messaging on the clinical benefits of SOGI data collection and reporting.
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