Who is epidemiologically fathomable in the HIV/AIDS epidemic? Gender, sexuality, and intersectionality in public health

Abstract

This paper examines the shifting nature of contemporary epidemiological classifications in the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. It first looks at assumptions that guide a discourse of vulnerability and circulate around risk categories. It then examines the underlying emphasis in public health on the popular frame of "vulnerable women" who acquire HIV through heterosexual transmission. Drawing on work on gender, sexuality, and intersectionality, the paper asks why a discourse of vulnerability is infused into discussions of heterosexually-active women's HIV risks but not those pertaining to heterosexually-active men's. The paper then moves to current surveillance categories that are hierarchically and differentially applied to women's and men's risks in the HIV epidemic. Here, the focus is on the way in which contemporary classifications allow for the emergence of the vulnerable heterosexually-active woman while simultaneously constituting lack of fathomability concerning bisexual and lesbian transmission risk. Lastly, theories of intersectionality, are used to examine current research on woman-to-woman transmission, and to suggest future more productive options.

Help seeking for cardiac symptoms: Beyond the masculine–feminine binary

“…Lorber (1996) commented that in research "variations in gender displays are often ignored: A woman is assumed to be a feminine female; a man masculine male" (p. 144). Furthermore, a questioning of binary conceptions of gender is influencing other areas of health research such as HIV/AIDS (Dworkin, 2005). What is interesting to consider is why those working in the field of cardiac sciences have continued to reify these stereotypical typologies.…”

Health Belief Model on Psychosocial Factors Influencing HIV/AIDS Prevention Behavior on Lesbian Community in Surakarta

“…Furhermore, definition of "lesbian" could differ from each culture, race and ethnic groups. Dwarkin (2005) states that some women can identify themselves as a lesbian, but also involves in a sexual relation with males. On the other hand, some women, like Hispanic women in the survey for women with high risk in Los Angeles stated that they have sex with women but they are not lesbian.…”

The Knowledge, Perceptions, Attitudes, and Perceived Risk in HIV/AIDS among Women in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The pativrata women, unfortunately, dutifully engage in unprotected sex with her husband, despite knowing her partner's HIV-positive status (Singhal and Rogers, 2003). Past research revealed that Black and Latina's women were most likely to contract HIV heterosexually as they lived in the poorest sections of the US cities that were hit by the deindustrialisation of the 1970s (Zierler and Kriger, 1997;Dworkin, 2005). These women mostly contracted the virus from men who were injecting drug users or had intercourse with men or other women, including female sex workers (Guinan and Hardy, 1987;Wortley and Fleming, 1997;Kamb and Wortley, 2000).…”