{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]],"date-time":"2026-07-20T21:27:24Z","timestamp":1784582844105,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,29]],"date-time":"2025-12-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766966400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100006492","name":"Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["P30 AI060354"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P30 AI060354"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100006492","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Sexual minority men (SMM) living with HIV in Nigeria experience suboptimal outcomes on the HIV care continuum. Experiences of intersectional stigma has been linked to lower likelihood of engagement in HIV services, but little is known about the effects of intersectional stigma on HIV care outcomes for SMM in Nigeria. The current study explored experiences of intersectional stigma among SMM living with HIV in Lagos, Nigeria and its\u2019 impact on engagement in HIV care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Between January and February 2022, we conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 30 SMM living with HIV in Lagos, Nigeria and 38 healthcare providers that provide HIV prevention and care services to SMM.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We found that while participants described experiencing both HIV and sexual minority stigma, they believed sexual minority identity stigma to be more common than HIV-related stigma. Additionally, most participants believed they experience intersectional stigma, especially enacted and anticipated stigma, from their HIV status and sexual minority identity. Respondents utilized various strategies, both negative and positive, to cope with stigma including substance use, identity concealment, social isolation, support systems, and engaging in various hobbies as a form of self-care. Lastly, while most healthcare providers believe that stigma negatively influenced SMM ability to fully engage in HIV care, most SMM believed stigmatization had minimal to no effect on their engagement in HIV care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Our findings underscore the importance of developing community (SMM specifically) informed, evidence-based health interventions aimed at reducing the effect of stigma on engagement in HIV care among Nigerian SMM living with HIV, to improve their overall health and quality of life.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0338933","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,29]],"date-time":"2025-12-29T18:34:57Z","timestamp":1767033297000},"page":"e0338933","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Intersectional stigma and adherence to antiretroviral (ART) among sexual minority men (SMM) living with HIV in Nigeria: A Qualitative Inquiry"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3074-6431","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Adedotun","family":"Ogunbajo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Oluwatimilehin","family":"Sotubo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kehinde","family":"Okanlawon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Shoyemi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Olakunle","family":"Oginni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kenneth H.","family":"Mayer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,29]]},"reference":[{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0338933.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1790","DOI":"10.1097\/MS9.0000000000000604","article-title":"A review of current trends in HIV epidemiology, surveillance, and control in Nigeria","volume":"85","author":"AE Bassey","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ann Med Surg (Lond)"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0338933.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1201","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-019-7540-4","article-title":"Rising HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in Nigeria: a trend analysis","volume":"19","author":"GIE Eluwa","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0338933.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"444","DOI":"10.1097\/QAI.0000000000001934","article-title":"Individual and sexual network predictors of HIV incidence among men who have sex with men in Nigeria","volume":"80","author":"RG Nowak","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Acqu Immun Def Synd"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0338933.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1097\/QAI.0b013e31828a3e60","article-title":"High HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in Nigeria: implications for combination prevention","volume":"63","author":"L Vu","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0338933.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1136\/sti.2008.034991","article-title":"HIV prevalence and risk behaviours among men having sex with men in Nigeria","volume":"87","author":"M Merrigan","year":"2011","journal-title":"Sex Transm Infect"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0338933.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/S2352-3018(19)30239-5","article-title":"HIV testing and engagement with the HIV treatment cascade among men who have sex with men in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"6","author":"J Stannah","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet HIV"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0338933.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17383","DOI":"10.7448\/IAS.15.2.17383","article-title":"Quantifying and addressing losses along the continuum of care for people living with HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review","volume":"15","author":"K Kranzer","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Int AIDS Soc"},{"key":"pone.0338933.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1097\/QAI.0000000000000439","article-title":"Uptake of treatment as prevention for HIV and continuum of care among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in Nigeria","volume":"68","author":"ME Charurat","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr"},{"key":"pone.0338933.ref009","first-page":"459","volume-title":"HIV-and AIDS-related stigma and discrimination: A conceptual framework and implications for action. 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