Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Feb;13(2):187-200.
doi: 10.1080/13691058.2010.521575.

Homophobia, stigma and HIV in Jamaican prisons

Katherine Andrinopoulos  1 , J Peter Figueroa, Deanna Kerrigan, Jonathan M Ellen
Affiliations

Homophobia, stigma and HIV in Jamaican prisons

Katherine Andrinopoulos et al. Cult Health Sex. 2011 Feb.

Abstract

Success in addressing HIV and AIDS among men who have sex with men, a key population in the global epidemic, is impeded by homophobia. Homophobia as a barrier to HIV prevention and AIDS treatment is a particularly acute problem in the prison setting. In this qualitative study, we explore HIV and AIDS, stigma and homosexuality in the largest all male prison in Jamaica by conducting iterative in-depth interviews with 25 inmates. Participant narratives unveil a purposeful manipulation of beliefs related to homosexuality that impedes an effective response to HIV and AIDS both in prison and wider society. Findings indicate that homophobia is both a social construction and a tangible tool used to leverage power and a sense of solidarity in a larger political and economic landscape. This use of homophobia may not be unique to Jamaica and is an important issue to address in other low- and middle-income post-colonialist societies.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Aarmo M. How Homosexuality Became Un-African: The Case of Zimbabwe. In: Blackwood Evelyn, Wieringa Saski E., editors. Same-Sex Relations and Female Desires. Columbia University Press; New York: 1999. pp. 255–79.
    1. Andrinopoulos K, Kerrigan D, Figueroa JP, Reese R, Gaydos C, Bennett L, Bloomfield B, Plunkett L, Maru C, Ellen JM. Establishment of an HIV/sexually transmitted disease programme and prevalence of infection among incarcerated men in Jamaica. International Journal of STDs and AIDS. 2010;21:114–19. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Baral S, Sifakis F, Cleghorn F, Beyrer C. Elevated Risk for HIV Infection among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Low- and-Middle - Income Countries: 2000-2006: A Systematic Review. PloS Medicine. 2007;4(12):1901–11. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Berkman A, Garcia J, Muñoz-Laboy M, Paiva V, Parker R. A Critical Analysis of the Brazilian Response to HIV/AIDS: Lessons Learned for Controlling and Mitigating the Epidemic in Developing Countries. American Journal of Public Health. 2005;95(7):1162–72. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bernard, Russell . Research Methods in Anthropology. 4th edition AltaMira Press; Lanham, MD: 2006.

Publication types

MeSH terms