Split Ends: Masculinity, Sexuality and Emotional Intimacy Among HIV-positive Heterosexual Men

In: Men and masculinities, Volume 8, Issue 3, p. 309-320

Abstract

Examining the narratives of eighteen heterosexual drug-injecting men living with HIV, this study seeks to understand how HIV-positive men negotiate issues of masculinity, sexuality, and emotional intimacy. It focuses specifically on strategies HIV-positive men use to manage emotional vulnerability in sexual encounters. We identify a core theme of "splitting," in which men compartmentalize the domains of sexuality and emotional intimacy. We examine how this aspect of masculinity is at times exacerbated as a strategy to minimize emotional investment in sexual partners. By splitting the emotional and sexual domains, the men are able to perform sexually with casual sex partners while minimizing both the risk of infecting intimate partners and a fear of rejection from those they care about or desire most. However, the tensions created by splitting the emotional and sexual domains may disintegrate intimate interpersonal relationships that serve as a base of much-needed emotional support.