EXPLORING GAY MEN’S EXPERIENCES OF SHAME V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring Gay Men's Experiences of Shame in Relation to Sexuality and HIV and the Implications for Sense of Self and Relationships
IRAS ID
218531
Contact name
Stacey Joanne Hemmings
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 31 days
Research summary
Shame is a feeling we all experience at some point during our lives yet research has shown that some gay men and those living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) report feeling more intense and persistent feelings of shame. Experiencing such a distressing feeling more intensely and for longer can have a substantial impact on the way individuals view themselves and their relationships with others. Unsurprisingly, it can also have profound effects on general mental health and has been linked to the increased use of substances and risky sexual behaviour, as well as poor medication adherence. This makes it a particularly pertinent area of research given the focus and current concerns surrounding the use of illicit substances in sex, or so called ‘ChemSex’, within gay and bi-sexual sub-cultures.
To date, however, research has tended to focus on the impacts of stigma in this population neglecting the possible combined impacts of shame in relation to both sexuality and HIV status. As such, this study will aim to conduct ten hour-long individual interviews with gay men living with HIV, regarding their experiences of shame both in relation to their sexuality and HIV status, and explore what impacts this has for their sense of self and their relationships with others. Participants will be recruited from HIV and sexual health centres across two central London NHS Foundation Trust sites and the data will be analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). It is hoped that findings from this research will help to shape future psychological and sexual health interventions targeting shame more effectively in this population.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0785
Date of REC Opinion
2 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion