title: Intragroup Stigma Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Data Extraction from Craigslist Ads in 11 Cities in the United States.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) regularly experience homophobic discrimination and stigma. While previous research has examined homophobic and HIV-related intergroup stigma originating from non-MSM directed at MSM, less is known about intragroup stigma originating from within MSM communities. While some research has examined intragroup stigma, this research has focused mostly on HIV-related stigma. Intragroup stigma may have a unique influence on sexual risk-taking behaviors as it occurs between sexual partners. Online sexual networking venues provide a unique opportunity to examine this type of stigma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to examine the presence and patterns of various types of intragroup stigma represented in Men Seeking Men Craigslist sex ads.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from ads on Craigslist sites from 11 of the 12 US metropolitan statistical areas with the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence. Two categories of data were collected: self-reported characteristics of the authors and reported biases in the ads. Chi-square tests were used to examine patterns of biases across cities and author characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biases were rarely reported in the ads. The most commonly reported biases were against men who were not "disease and drug free (DDF)," representing stigma against men living with HIV or a sexually transmitted infection. Patterns in bias reporting occurred across cities and author characteristics. There were no variations based on race, but ageism (mostly against older men) varied based on the ad author's age and self-reported DDF status; bias against feminine gender expression varied based on self-reported sexual orientation; bias against "fat" men varied by self-reported DDF status; bias against "ugly" men varied by a self-report of being good-looking; and bias against people who do not have a DDF status varied based on self-reported HIV status and self-reported DDF status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite an overall low reporting of biases in ads, these findings suggest that there is a need to address intragroup stigma within MSM communities. The representation of biases and intragroup stigma on Craigslist may result from internalized stigma among MSM while also perpetuating further internalization of stigma for men who read the sex ads. Understanding patterns in the perpetuation of intragroup stigma can help to better target messages aimed at making cultural and behavioral shifts in the perpetration of intragroup stigma within MSM communities.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences and the Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI United States.
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3998-2913
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health Hubert Department of Global Health Emory University Atlanta, GA United States.
authors.forename: Dhrutika
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1370-0180
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vansia
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences and the Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI United States.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6034-2019
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stephenson
keywords: stigma, online, MSM, Craigslist, sex ads