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Gender and Sexuality

Gay men

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Full-Text Articles in Health Psychology

Resilience Pathways, Childhood Escape Routes, And Mentors Reported By Gay And Bisexual Men Affected By Syndemic Conditions, Barry D. Adam Oct 2019

Resilience Pathways, Childhood Escape Routes, And Mentors Reported By Gay And Bisexual Men Affected By Syndemic Conditions, Barry D. Adam

Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology Publications

Investigation of the social and psychological antecedents of the HIV epidemic has identified a syndemic of conditions associated with risk behavior and seroconversion. This study inquires into the resilient practices and developmental processes of gay and bisexual men at the nexus of syndemic conditions to understand the pathways that lead to health problems or well-being. Interviews with 40 men identified branching pathways from home environments into schools that either offer refuge or a regime of gender discipline and bullying. Some found escape routes from hostile environments in worlds of books, pop culture, or internet chat. In adolescence, one set of …


“Hiv-Related Syndemic Pathways And Risk Subjectivities Among Gay And Bisexual Men: A Qualitative Investigation, Barry D. Adam Nov 2017

“Hiv-Related Syndemic Pathways And Risk Subjectivities Among Gay And Bisexual Men: A Qualitative Investigation, Barry D. Adam

Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology Publications

Life history interviews were conducted with 40 gay and bisexual men to identify modes of syndemic experience and risk practice. Out of the interview narratives emerged one major and two minor modes of developmental pathways whereby syndemic conditions are navigated and expressed: (1) a combination of adverse childhood events with later episodes of depression and/or substantial substance use, (2) personal disruption that led to periods of depression and anxiety associated with the stresses of migration, and (3) a disorientation and an unravelling of life trajectory in the transition from family of origin to college or work. Risk practices fell into …