Discussions about STI histories and HIV-statuses among Gay men in Ottawa: An HIV prevention analysis

As part of examining the public health effects of media releases about HIV-status nondisclosure, a semi-structured interview technique was employed to collect data about gay men’s perceptions of and experiences with HIV-status disclosure, nondisclosure, and prevention. In this article, participants’ (N = 27) narratives about their expectations of how and when HIV-status disclosure and discussions about STI histories should occur are presented, and then contrasted against stated (hypothetical) expectations with the stories they recounted about discussing HIV-status during previous sexual contacts (actual practices). These data highlight that the overwhelming socio-sexual norm among gay men in Ottawa is not to discuss HIV-status, and, instead, to perform HIV risk assessments based on the characteristics of their sexual partners and their relationships with these men. A small subset of participants, however, noted they used condoms to maintain what was called the code of silence (i.e., the norm not to discuss HIV), and to simultaneously minimize HIV transmission during sexual contacts with casual or anonymous partners. In light of the extant literature about STIs, HIV, and prevention among gay men, these data provide important insights for HIV prevention workers, who should consider how to tailor prevention efforts to local communities.