Predictors of the Sexual Well-being of Individuals Diagnosed with Herpes and Human Papillomavirus

Research suggests that having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as genital herpes and human papillomavirus (HPV) can negatively affect sexual well-being. However, there is little research examining factors associated with poorer sexual well-being among individuals with a STI. 

This study investigated the extent to which stigma experiences, individual characteristics, and STI characteristics were associated with multiple aspects of sexual well-being among individuals diagnosed with herpes and/or HPV. Participants were an average of 36 years old (SD = 11.58) and included 188 individuals with herpes and/or HPV who completed measures of sexual activity, sexual problems, and sexual cognitive-affective factors. 

The results showed that experiences of stigmatization were the most important predictors of sexual well-being. Participants who perceived were stigmatized by others as well as those who internalized negative social attitudes to a greater extent reported poorer sexual well-being across all dimensions, over and above individual and STI characteristics. The implications of these findings for sexual health professionals are discussed.

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By:  Foster LR1, Byers ES2.

• 1Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
• 2Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada. byers@unb.ca.
• Arch Sex Behav. 2016 Feb;45(2):403-14. doi: 10.1007/s10508-014-0388-x. Epub 2014 Nov 19. 

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Association of Internalized and Social Network Level HIV Stigma with High-Risk Condomless Sex among HIV-Positive African American Men

We examined whether internalized HIV stigma and perceived HIV stigma from social network members (alters), including the most popular and most similar alter, predicted condomless intercourse with negative or unknown HIV status partners among 125 African American HIV-positive men. 

In a prospective, observational study, participants were administered surveys at baseline and months 6 and 12, with measures including sexual behavior, internalized HIV stigma, and an egocentric social network assessment that included several measures of perceived HIV stigma among alters. 

In longitudinal multivariable models comparing the relative predictive value of internalized stigma versus various measures of alter stigma, significant predictors of having had condomless intercourse included greater internalized HIV stigma (in all models), the perception that a popular (well-connected) alter or alter most like the participant agrees with an HIV stigma belief, and the interaction of network density with having any alter that agrees with a stigma belief. 

The interaction indicated that the protective effect of greater density (connectedness between alters) in terms of reduced risk behavior dissipated in the presence of perceived alter stigma. 

These findings call for interventions that help people living with HIV to cope with their diagnosis and reduce stigma, and inform the targets of social network-based and peer-driven HIV prevention interventions.

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By:   Wagner GJ¹, Bogart LM^2,3,4, Klein DJ^2,3, Green HD Jr², Mutchler MG^5,6, McDavitt B^5,6,7, Hilliard C⁸.

¹Health Unit, RAND Corporation (http://www.rand.org/health.html), 1776 Main St., Santa Monica, CA, 90407, USA. gwagner@rand.org.

²Health Unit, RAND Corporation, 1776 Main St., Santa Monica, CA, 90407, USA.

³Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

⁴Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

⁵Department of Sociology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, USA.

⁶Community-Based Research, AIDS Project Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

⁷Clinical Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria, CA, USA.

⁸Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

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Trauma Symptoms, Internalized Stigma, Social Support & Sexual Risk Behavior among HIV-Positive Gay & Bisexual MSM Who Have Sought Sex Partners Online

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) remain the highest risk group for HIV infection. One reason is the increased use of the Internet to meet potential sex partners, which is associated with greater sexual risk behavior. To date, few studies have investigated psychosocial predictors of sexual risk behavior among gay and bisexual men seeking sex partners online. 

The purpose of the current study was to test a conceptual model of the relationships between trauma symptoms indexed on the event of HIV diagnosis, internalized HIV stigma, and social support on sexual risk behavior among gay and bisexual MSM who seek sex partners online. 

A sample of 142 gay and bisexual MSM recruited on- and offline completed a comprehensive online assessment battery assessing the factors noted above. 

A number of associations emerged; most notably internalized HIV stigma mediated the relationship between trauma-related symptoms indexed on the event of HIV diagnosis and sexual risk behavior with HIV-negative and unknown serostatus sex partners. 

This suggests that gay and bisexual MSM who are in greater distress over their HIV diagnosis and who are more sensitive to HIV stigma engage in more HIV transmission risk behavior. As sexual risk environments expand with the increasing use of the Internet to connect with others for sex, it is important to understand the predictors of sexual risk behavior so that tailored interventions can promote sexual health for gay and bisexual MSM seeking sex online.

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By: Burnham KE1, Cruess DG1, Kalichman MO1, Grebler T1, Cherry C1, Kalichman SC1.

• 1a Department of Psychology , University of Connecticut , Storrs , CT , USA.  

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