'It kills the freedom or the spirit of people being who they are': impact of sexuality-based stigma and discrimination on the lives of gay and bisexual men in Kenya.
IF 2.1 3区 医学Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Juan C Jauregui, Katherine A Lewis, Darius M Moore, Adedotun Ogunbajo, Wilson W Odero, Jeffrey Wambaya, Daniel P Onyango, Laura Jadwin-Cakmak, Gary W Harper
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Gay and bisexual men (GBM) in Kenya are subjected to frequent experiences of sexuality-based stigma and discrimination, yet how GBM navigate these experiences and their impact on mental health has remained understudied. The aim of this study was to understand how GBM in Kenya respond to everyday experiences of sexuality-based stressors. We conducted 60 individual in-depth interviews with GBM between the ages of 20-46 residing in Kisumu and Nairobi. The following four key themes regarding how GBM in Kenya respond to sexuality-based stressors emerged: enacting identity protection strategies, using alcohol and other substances, avoiding healthcare providers and services, and being hypervigilant to avoid violence. These findings highlight the urgent need for interventions that reduce sexuality-based stigma and improve access to safer social and healthcare spaces for GBM in Kisumu and Nairobi.
期刊介绍:
Global Public Health is an essential peer-reviewed journal that energetically engages with key public health issues that have come to the fore in the global environment — mounting inequalities between rich and poor; the globalization of trade; new patterns of travel and migration; epidemics of newly-emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases; the HIV/AIDS pandemic; the increase in chronic illnesses; escalating pressure on public health infrastructures around the world; and the growing range and scale of conflict situations, terrorist threats, environmental pressures, natural and human-made disasters.