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Stigma and the Ethnographic Study of HIV: Problems and Prospects

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Abstract

This article reviews the factors of sexual culture formation and stigma in the representation and prevention of HIV transmission. Two views of stigma, insider versus outsider meanings and practices, are contrasted in the history of anthropology and sexuality studies. Changes in ethnography and the understanding of ethnographic method since the rise of the AIDS epidemic are considered through a series of case studies. The implications of this work for HIV education and interventions surrounding stigma management and community action are summarized. The author advocates the study of stigma as a means to enhance education and prevention efforts in cross-cultural research on AIDS.

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Herdt, G. Stigma and the Ethnographic Study of HIV: Problems and Prospects. AIDS Behav 5, 141–149 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011378811611

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