Methods of HIV Disclosure by Men Who Have Sex with Men to Casual Sexual Partners

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to report results of a qualitative investigation into the methods that HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) use to disclose their serostatus to casual sexual partners. In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 57 HIV-positive adult MSM from a large midwestern city. Using an inductive approach to data analysis, our participants revealed a typology of disclosure consisting of strategies that can be placed into five primary categorizations of disclosure. These include: point-blank disclosure, indirect disclosure, stage setting, buffering, and seeking similars. This information can be especially beneficial to those working with men to develop better disclosure skills.