An 'elephant in the room'? Stigma and hepatitis C transmission among HIV-positive 'serosorting' gay men.

Recent research has highlighted concerns about sexually transmitted infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in populations of HIV-positive men who have sex with men. This paper presents results from a qualitative pilot study exploring the experience of stigma in HIV/HCV co-infected men. The preliminary findings suggest that HCV infection can be experienced as more stigmatising than HIV among gay and other men who have sex with men. This hierarchical stigmatisation complicates the disclosure of HCV infection, threatening the 'safety' of HIV serosorted unprotected sexual practice. Further research is required to explore the effect of stigma on HIV/HCV co-infected men, but these preliminary findings suggest that heath promotion initiatives are needed to counter hepatitis C stigma by raising awareness and facilitating greater empathetic ownership of hepatitis C as a gay community issue.