Andrew Jolivette
San Francisco State University, USA
Title: Examining Internal Traumatic Gay Men’s Syndrome (ITGMS) and syndemics among American Indian and indigenous gay men
Biography
Biography: Andrew Jolivette
Abstract
Recent biomedical advances in HIV prevention strategies such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and achieving an undetectable viral load (UVL) support evidence-based scientific studies indicating HIV transmission rates can continue to be reduced through campaigns such as “Getting to Zero.” Despite the new evidence there continue to be disparities in risk and in access to prevention strategies based on a number of social, cultural, and economic factors collectively noted here as Syndemic impact (the co-constitutive epidemiological factors in large urban areas where the social and biological intersect). Syndemic impact when coupled with Internal Traumatic Gay Men’s Syndrome (the inter-generational, socially-isolating and traumatic [life changing] experiences that shape risk for HIV and overall long-term health outcomes for gay HIV positive men) can help to explain the on-going social and cultural impact of trauma on health outcomes for both negative and positive self-identified gay men. Previous studies (Diaz, 1997; Cohen, 1999; Vernon, 2001; Jolivette, 2016) have shown the socio-cultural and socio-psychological impact of identity factors such as race, religion, economic status etc. on the mental health of gay men of color. Among American Indians, First Nations, and Alaskan Native gay men we must also incorporate an analysis of (ITGMS) to explore how social and cultural interactions influence HIV prevention, treatment, and long-term care.