A new perspective on sexual mixing among men who have sex with men by body image

Body image research among sexual minority men in the Mekong region: A scoping review

Body image among sexual minority men (SMM) has received increasing attention. However, the current literature has primarily focused on white SMM and body image and physical appearance concerns among SMM. In response to a call for more nuance in understanding how SMM perceive and make sense of their body image in a broader sociocultural context, we conducted a scoping review to examine the extent and nature of body image research among SMM in the Mekong region. We searched CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycInfo-1806 (Ovid), ProQuest Central, Social Science Premium Collection, and Web of Science and identified 25 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the findings suggest that body image research in the Mekong region is limited in the range of topics, study populations, and methods, with quantitative studies on preferences for masculine physical traits among young and well-educated Chinese SMM dominating. Furthermore, the current literature is primarily influenced by Western scholarship, which predominantly uses Western measurement and theories. We encourage scholars from other countries in the region, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand, to engage sociocultural approaches in research on the body image of SMM.

Body Image Perceptions and Visualization of Vietnamese Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

Research on body image among men who have sex with men (MSM) has predominantly been approached with the assumption that all MSM conform to a culturally preferred body, and have a high risk of body image concerns leading to risky behaviors and negative health outcomes. Scholars have called for a more nuanced understanding of how MSM engage with their body images. In response, we conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with Vietnamese MSM to explore their perceptions and feelings of their bodies, including their current body, idealized body, and sexually desired body. Inductive thematic analysis was utilized. The findings highlight the diversity and complexity in Vietnamese MSM's perceptions and feelings about their bodies, which Western measurements of body image and body dissatisfaction might not fully capture. The participants also acknowledge the pressure of physical appearance; however, they do not always conform to the dominant body ideals and have a high risk of body dissatisfaction. We conclude with a call for reframing the approach to gay and bisexual men's body image to understand better how they navigate complex pressures and make sense of their body image instead of assuming they are at risk of body dissatisfaction.

Predictors of HIV Testing and Their Influence on PrEP Acceptance in Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Cross-Sectional Study

HIV testing is the gateway to biomedical means of prevention and treatment. Identifying predictors of HIV testing is important to inform future preventive interventions. Of 444 men who have sex with men without known HIV infection enrolled in a study in Hong Kong, 64% had ever been HIV-tested. Testers were generally older, better educated, had a higher monthly income, and more likely self-identified as gay. Testers often used Internet and frequented saunas for sex networking, compared with non-testers attending bars, massage centres and public toilets. HIV testing habit also varied with the profile of body image type and preferred type in sex networking. Higher acceptance of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was observed among testers. Overall, socioeconomic status played an important role in both HIV testing and access to PrEP. Interventions targeting sex networking venues and alternative means of testing provision are needed to increase coverage of HIV testing.