TY - JOUR
T1 - From HIV to Mpox
T2 - socio-discursive analysis of communicable diseases, stigma, and pathologization in sexual minorities in Brazil
AU - Cruz Neto, João
AU - Maia, Amanda Cavalcante
AU - de Siqueira Holanda, Violeta Maria
AU - de Sousa, Anderson Reis
AU - de Lima Carvalho, Carolina Maria
AU - Brasil, Eysler Gonçalves Maia
AU - da Silva, Kadson Araujo
AU - Mendes, Isabel Amélia Costa
AU - de Sousa, Álvaro Francisco Lopes
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Discrimination and stigma are significant barriers to healthcare for the LGBTQIAPN+ community, necessitating a deeper analysis of their sociocultural causes. There is a notable gap in the literature regarding the understanding of socio-discursive representations and their impact on the stigmatization and pathologization of sexual minorities in the context of communicable diseases. This study aims to discuss the understanding of the sociodiscursive aspects of the health-disease process, particularly in stigmatized infectious diseases affecting the LGBTQIAPN+ community. The focus is on examining how news articles, or the set of analyzed texts (corpus), shape these perceptions. We conducted documentary research with a qualitative and discursive approach using news articles retrieved from Google NewsⓇ about diseases affecting the LGBTQIAPN+ population from 2011 to 2022. The analysis was based on critical discourse analysis, processed using MAXQDA and IRAMUTEQ software. The identified representations predominantly align with biomedical ideology, manifesting in a discourse that normalizes and medicalizes (normative-curative discourse), and notable for its pathologizing and stigmatizing nature. Six classes were found: Ethical professional dilemmas facing stigma, infection and contamination of the LGBT+ population, prejudice and discrimination in the form of information, stigma related to sexual behavior/orientation, Vulnerability and stigma related to infectious diseases, and strategies for minimizing health risk/stigma for the LGBT+ public. The most relevant analytical categories were related to infectious diseases and sexual identity. These themes were identified, indicating that media representations reinforce stigma and maintain unequal health practices (verticalization) for the LGBT+ community. Understanding these patterns within a broader historical context is crucial for promoting health education and strategies that challenge internalized prejudice. The need to reformulate cultural norms and develop health information and education policies is urgent. These policies should be led by professionals with a comprehensive and humanized vision, addressing the diverse needs of the LGBT+ population.
AB - Discrimination and stigma are significant barriers to healthcare for the LGBTQIAPN+ community, necessitating a deeper analysis of their sociocultural causes. There is a notable gap in the literature regarding the understanding of socio-discursive representations and their impact on the stigmatization and pathologization of sexual minorities in the context of communicable diseases. This study aims to discuss the understanding of the sociodiscursive aspects of the health-disease process, particularly in stigmatized infectious diseases affecting the LGBTQIAPN+ community. The focus is on examining how news articles, or the set of analyzed texts (corpus), shape these perceptions. We conducted documentary research with a qualitative and discursive approach using news articles retrieved from Google NewsⓇ about diseases affecting the LGBTQIAPN+ population from 2011 to 2022. The analysis was based on critical discourse analysis, processed using MAXQDA and IRAMUTEQ software. The identified representations predominantly align with biomedical ideology, manifesting in a discourse that normalizes and medicalizes (normative-curative discourse), and notable for its pathologizing and stigmatizing nature. Six classes were found: Ethical professional dilemmas facing stigma, infection and contamination of the LGBT+ population, prejudice and discrimination in the form of information, stigma related to sexual behavior/orientation, Vulnerability and stigma related to infectious diseases, and strategies for minimizing health risk/stigma for the LGBT+ public. The most relevant analytical categories were related to infectious diseases and sexual identity. These themes were identified, indicating that media representations reinforce stigma and maintain unequal health practices (verticalization) for the LGBT+ community. Understanding these patterns within a broader historical context is crucial for promoting health education and strategies that challenge internalized prejudice. The need to reformulate cultural norms and develop health information and education policies is urgent. These policies should be led by professionals with a comprehensive and humanized vision, addressing the diverse needs of the LGBT+ population.
KW - Communicable diseases
KW - Health communication
KW - Media
KW - Sexual and gender minorities
KW - Sexual orientation
KW - Social stigma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85203050196&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10508-024-02968-5
DO - 10.1007/s10508-024-02968-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 39227499
AN - SCOPUS:85203050196
SN - 0004-0002
JO - Archives of sexual behavior
JF - Archives of sexual behavior
ER -