Abstract

GRANADOS-COSME, José Arturo; TORRES-CRUZ, César  and  DELGADO-SANCHEZ, Guadalupe. The experience of rejection in homosexual university students from Mexico City and risk situations for HIV/AIDS.. Salud pública Méx [online]. 2009, vol.51, n.6, pp.474-488. ISSN 0036-3634.

OBJETIVES: To describe the relationship established by a male homosexual group between the perception of social rejection towards their homosexuality, sexual practices and risk of HIV/AIDS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In-depth interviews were administered to homosexual men at a Mexico City university by means of a snowball technique. The interviews were recorded and processed with Atlas.ti software and the analysis of the discourse was made using the Grounded Theory method. RESULTS: The experience of homophobia as expressed by the interviewees resulted in psychological suffering, including sadness, fear, loneliness and suicidal behavior associated with risk situations for HIV/AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: Homophobia, translated into discrimination, contributes to an increased vulnerability to the sexual transmission of HIV.

Keywords : homosexuality; homophobia; HIV [AIDS]; qualitative research; Mexico.