Services on Demand
Journal
Article
Indicators
- Cited by SciELO
Related links
- Similars in SciELO
Share
Salud colectiva
Print version ISSN 1669-2381On-line version ISSN 1851-8265
Abstract
SANTOS, Lorruan Alves dos; COUTO, Marcia Thereza; MATHIAS, Augusto and GRANGEIRO, Alexandre. Heterosexually active men, masculinities, HIV prevention, and the search for post-exposure prophylaxis following sexual exposure. Salud colect. [online]. 2019, vol.15, e2144. ISSN 1669-2381. http://dx.doi.org/10.18294/sc.2019.2144.
Hegemonic masculinity has distanced heterosexually active men from the responses to the HIV epidemic. However, with the combined prevention paradigm, post-exposure prophylaxis offers new ways to manage the risks of HIV infection, while at the same time bringing about new challenges. The aim of this paper is to discuss - through the lens of gender and masculinities - how heterosexually active men perceive their HIV risk and how they manage prevention methods and strategies, including post-exposure prophylaxis. Employing qualitative methods, 16 heterosexually active men in five health services from different Brazilian cities were interviewed. The analysis indicates that condom use - the main prevention method - was conditioned by subjective and contextual factors, and its failure stands out as the primary reason for seeking out post-exposure prophylaxis. We argue that ideals of hegemonic masculinity permeate perceptions and risk management discourses in the current context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Keywords : Masculinity; Heterosexuality; Men’s Health; Disease Prevention; HIV; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis; Brazil.