HIV/AIDS STIGMA AMONG ASIAN MEN: DYNAMICS, CONSEQUENCES AND INTERVENTION

Abstract

HIV/AIDS remains a persistent public health challenge across Asia, with men who have sex with men (MSM) bearing a disproportionate burden of new infections. Despite biomedical advances in prevention and treatment, the epidemic continues to be sustained by deeply entrenched stigma that operates across cultural, social, institutional, and legal domains. This article critically examines HIV/AIDS-related stigma among Asian MSM, conceptualising stigma not merely as individual prejudice but as a structural and relational process embedded within broader systems of inequality. Drawing on existing epidemiological evidence and stigma theory, the paper analyses how intersecting forms of stigma, linked to HIV status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and gender norms, systematically undermine prevention efforts, delay HIV testing, disrupt linkage to care, and weaken long-term treatment adherence. The analysis highlights four interrelated dimensions of stigma: perceived public stigma, internalised stigma, disclosure stigma, and fear of contagion. These dimensions interact across the HIV care continuum, shaping health-seeking behaviour and reinforcing avoidance of essential services such as testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and antiretroviral therapy. Importantly, the paper argues that stigma is reproduced not only within communities but also through healthcare systems, policy frameworks, and restrictive legal environments that criminalise same-sex behaviour or fail to protect confidentiality and non-discrimination. Such structural barriers intensify vulnerability among Asian MSM, including migrants and international students, who already face social marginalisation. By synthesising evidence across sociocultural, healthcare, and policy contexts, this article underscores the need for multi-level, rights-based interventions that integrate community engagement, culturally responsive healthcare practices, stigma-sensitive policies, and responsible media representation. Addressing HIV/AIDS stigma among Asian MSM is therefore not only a matter of individual behaviour change but a critical prerequisite for achieving equitable access to care and sustainable HIV prevention outcomes in the region.