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
. 2024 May 30.
doi: 10.1007/s12529-024-10299-x. Online ahead of print.

Narratives of Disconnection: A Life Course Perspective of Methamphetamine Use Among Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV

Walter Gómez  1 , Kurt C Organista  2 , Tina K Sacks  2 , Seth M Holmes  3   4   5 , Adam W Carrico  6
Affiliations

Narratives of Disconnection: A Life Course Perspective of Methamphetamine Use Among Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV

Walter Gómez et al. Int J Behav Med. .

Abstract

Background: Sexual minority men (SMM) are exposed to societal and structural stressors that translate into poor health outcomes. One such outcome is substance use, which research has long documented as a prominent disparity among SMM. Methamphetamine is a particularly deleterious substance for SMM because its use is often framed as a coping response to social and structural stressors.

Method: Guided by stress and coping theory and a life course perspective, the purpose of this qualitative study is to assess the development of coping strategies in the context of prominent social and structural determinants among SMM living with HIV who use methamphetamine.

Results: Data were collected from 2016 to 2018 via in-depth interviews with 24 SMM living with HIV who use methamphetamine in San Francisco, CA. Mean age of participants was 47 and over half self-identified as ethnoracial minorities. Narrative analysis surfaced a sequential pattern of disconnection at foundational, relational, and recovery levels. This analysis revealed that multi-level stressors were present across the life course that amplified engagement in methamphetamine use.

Conclusion: Findings highlight the benefits of holistic, integrated, and trauma-informed approaches to address the function of methamphetamine use as a response to societal, cultural, and institutional processes of stigmatization and discrimination. Peer-based approaches may also be beneficial to reframe the ways in which SMM living with HIV who use methamphetamine form and sustain relationships.

Keywords: Coping; HIV; Life course; Methamphetamine; Narrative analysis; Sexual minority men.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Meyer IH. Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychol Bull. 2003;129:674–97. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674 . - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Hatzenbuehler ML. Structural stigma and health inequalities: research evidence and implications for psychological science. Am Psychol. 2016;71:742–51. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000068 . - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Gamson J. Silence, death, and the invisible enemy: AIDS activism and social movement newness. Soc Probl. 1989;36:351–67. - DOI
    1. Kalichman SC, Johnson JR, Adair V, Rompa D, Multhauf K, Kelly JA. Sexual sensation seeking: scale development and predicting AIDS-risk behavior among homosexually active men. J Pers Assess. 1994;62:385–97. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa6203_1 . - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chaney MP, Brubaker MD. Addiction in LGBTQ communities: influences, treatment, and prevention. J LGBT Issues Couns. 2012;6:234–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/15538605.2012.725649 . - DOI

LinkOut - more resources