Indigenous men’s pathways to ‘living the right kind of life and walking the right path’: Understanding impacts of systemic oppression and guidance for healing and (w)holistic sexual health.

Citation:

Rand, J., Melro, C., Biderman, M., McMillian, J., Miller, A., Lekas, S., Numer, M (2022). Indigenous men’s pathways to ‘living the right kind of life and walking the right path: Understanding impacts of systemic oppression and guidance for healing and (w)holistic sexual health. Culture, Health, and Sexuality. Open Access: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13691058.2022.2055149

Abstract:

Indigenous men around the world hold expertise over their own lives. Informed by this perspective, this study centres this experience to better understand what is needed to improve sexual health outcomes among a group of men with a history of incarceration. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 Indigenous men with such a history. Through thematic analysis the study identified two major themes: 1) the impacts of systemic oppression; 2) the value of guidance in walking the right path. Men identified colonial trauma and the associated mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wounds stemming from systemic oppression as continuing to impact their wellbeing. Men also described the systems of support necessary to help guide them on their journeys through incarceration, rehabilitation and building strong and nurturing relationships. Findings from the study provide important guidance from Indigenous men for future more holistic sexual health intervention programming.

This paper is open access. Read it here

Sexualized Drug Use and Online Technologies: Examining the negotiations and practices of gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men

Citation

Joy, P., Hammond, C., Holmes, D., Sinno, J., Numer, M. (2021). Sexualized Drug Use and Online Technologies Examining the Negotiations and Practices of Gay, Bisexual, and Men Who Have Sex with Men. AWRY: Journal of Critical Psychology.

Abstract

Within the health literature for gay, bi, and trans men sexualized drug use is often positioned as only a sexual health risk. This research utilized netnography to examine the ways men use technologies to negotiate SDU and their sexual health. Participants were recruited from three Canadian cites to participate in semi-structured interviews. Fifty interviews were completed. Foucauldian discourse analysis was used to analyze data. Participants described negotiating practices, through the ethics and politics of sex, communicating pleasures, and reducing harm. Findings suggests that sexualized drug use is more than just a sexual health risk. Implications for service providers are explored.

Link: https://awryjcp.com/index.php/awry/article/view/38

Compassionate Bodies, Compassionate Practice: Navigating Body Image Tensions among Gay Men

Citation

Joy, P., Goldberg, L., Numer, M., Kirk, S., Aston, M., & Rehman, L. (2021). Compassionate Bodies, Compassionate Practice: Navigating Body Image Tensions among Gay Men. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research. 

Abstract

Our purpose in writing this Perspective in Practice is to create awareness about the role of compassion within dietetic practice, particularly the role of compassion for body image tensions. Nine self-identifying gay men were recruited to a photovoice research study that explored their beliefs, values, and practices relating to food and their bodies. Compassion was found as one way to navigate body images tensions. It is not the intent of this article to review all aspects of this research study but to use it as an example to illustrate compassion in dietetics. We suggest that our findings reveal the strength of using compassionate practice within the dietetic profession. In doing so, we call upon dietitians to incorporate compassion into their clinical and client care practices to foster health and healing for all communities, especially among those who struggle with body image tensions.

Link: https://dcjournal.ca/doi/abs/10.3148/cjdpr-2021-012

Reflections in comics: The views of queer artists in producing body imagine comics and how their work can improve health.

Citation

Joy, P., Gauvin, S., Aston, M. & Numer, M. (2020). Reflections in comics: The views of queer artists in producing body imagine comics and how their work can improve health. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. DOI: 10.1080/21504857.2020.1806891.

Abstract

Comics are an innovative way to translate health knowledge and research to service providers and communities. A theoretical framework intertwining poststructuralism and queer theory was used to explore the experiences of queer artists in the creation and production of body image comic anthology entitled Rainbow Reflections: Body Image Comics for Queer Men. The aim was to examine the beliefs of the artists about the potentiality of comics to address body image concerns for queer men. Body image concerns may create negative health experiences, isolation, loneliness, and sexual intimacy concerns. Nineteen self-identifying queer artists participated in the study. Discourse analysis revealed five threads of discourse that bring understanding on how comics can improve body image, and the health and well-being of both the artists through the act of creation and the reader through the act of consumption. Theses threads of discourse include: 1) Creating a unique language, 2) Revealing and healing themselves, 3) Exploring cultural influences, 4) Expanding spaces for queer men and their bodies, and 5) Connecting men. The findings reveal that comics can create knowledge and stimulate discussions about body image and has the potential to positively influence the health of queer men.

https://doi.org/10.1080/21504857.2020.1806891

Sexualized drug use in virtual space: A scoping review of how gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men interact online.

Citation

Patten, S., Doria, N., Joy, P., Sinno, J., Spencer, R., LeBlanc, MA., Holmes, D., & Numer, M. (2020). Sexualized drug use in virtual space: A scoping review of how gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men interact online. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. DOI: 10.3138/cjhs.2019-0052

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review the scope of the current literature on sexualized drug use (SDU) among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), particularly in online spaces. Over the last decade, there has been a rapid emergence of online venues for GBMSM to interact for sexual purposes. These spaces have also been infused with various substances that influence or shape the sexual interactions among GBMSM. Employing a scoping review methodology, we explored the interplay between GBMSM, SDU, and online dating and hookup apps. This scoping review presents four themes emerging from the literature: the connection between social networking apps (SNAs) and SDU, the planning and coordination of sex parties, accessing drugs through SNAs, and the coded language that emerges on SNAs. These findings synthesize the important relationship between GBMSM and SDUs, and identify the implications for health promotion.

https://doi.org/10.3138/cjhs.2019-0052

Grinding Against HIV Discourse: A Critical Exploration of Social Sexual Practices in Gay Cruising Apps.

Citation

Numer, M., Holmes, D., Joy, P., Thompson, R., & Doria, N. (2019). Grinding Against HIV Discourse: A Critical Exploration of Social Sexual Practices in Gay Cruising Apps. Gender, Technology and Development. DOI: 10.1080/09718524.2019.1684022

Abstract

Social networking applications (SNAs), such as Grindr, are shaping the identities and sexual practices of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM). This qualitative study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the role of such technologies in social sexual practices, particularly in relation to risk management and prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted blood-borne infections (STBBIs). Poststructuralism and queer theory were used to critically examine the relationship between GBM and SNAs in a sample of people who use Grindr. Sixteen people, identifying as men who used Grindr, were interviewed. Discourse analysis was employed to critically examine the relationship between GBM and SNAs, and three threads of discourse emerged: Language and images, Filtering, and Trust. These threads of discourse provide insight into how the sexual beliefs, values, and practices of GBM are shaped on SNAs.

https://doi.org/10.1080/09718524.2019.1684022

Gay men’s sexual health promotion in virtual space: Exploring stakeholders’ attitudes and approaches to outreach on mobile apps in Nova Scotia.

Citation

Thompson, R., Joy, P., Numer, M., & Holmes, D. (2018). Gay men’s sexual health promotion in virtual space: Exploring stakeholders’ attitudes and approaches to outreach on mobile apps in Nova Scotia. The International Journal of Community Diversity, 18(3-4), 17-29.

Abstract

HIV infections are still are a concern for many gay men in Canada despite prevention efforts. Social networking applications (SNAs) have predominantly been where gay men meet for sexual encounters. Grindr is the most common app used, which is a GPS-enabled SNA that was released in 2009. In Nova Scotia, there is a culture of silence in the gay community surrounding HIV/AIDS discourses. It is suggested that the perspective of professional stakeholders in sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBI) prevention is needed to enhance prevention efforts. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the perspectives of service providers regarding STBBI risk on one SNA for gay men. Key stakeholders in this current study were sexual health service providers working in Nova Scotia. Four stakeholders were interviewed as part of a larger study. Secondary thematic analysis was employed to examine this data for this research project. The interviewed stakeholders experienced outreach challenges because of the “changed landscape” of online partner finding. Stakeholders have an interest in accessing these spaces for prevention and suggest that online forums such as Grindr can be used for sexual health prevention aimed at gay men. Further, leaders in the gay men’s community may be able to help service providers understand the implications and potential contributions of sexual health promotion efforts.

http://hdl.handle.net/10222/75936

Constituting the ideal body: A poststructural analysis of “obesity” discourses among gay men.

Citation

Joy, P., & Numer, M. (2018). Constituting the ideal body: A poststructural analysis of “obesity” discourses among gay men. Journal of Critical Dietetics, 4(1), 47-58. (open access)

Abstract

Ideal bodies are constituted through various social and cultural discourses. One such discourse that constitutes bodies is the “obesity” discourse. The term obesity is a contested and medicalizing term that constitutes a view of fat people as unhealthy, immoral, and undesirable. Obesity discourses, therefore, also constitute notions of the bodies and body types that are thought to be healthy, acceptable, and attractive. The effects of obesity discourses can be prominently observed in gay men’s culture where muscular, white, thin bodies are glorified. This paper employs a poststructural framework to examine how desired bodies are constituted in gay culture. This paper also explores how some gay men resist dominant obesity discourses. A critical review of the literature on fatness, body dissatisfaction, and the influence of gay culture on eating practices among gay men informs this work. Various studies have shown that gay culture can constitute experiences of body dissatisfaction, rejection, and isolation for many men, especially for those that fall outside the idealized version of male bodies or who are labelled as “obese”. Implications for critical dietitians who are working with gay men are discussed.

This paper is open access. Read it here.

HIV/AIDS and the public health paradox: A poststructural discourse analysis of the impact of HIV Messaging on gay men in Nova Scotia.

Citation

Numer, M., Gahagan, J., Brown, M., & Atkinson, S. (2017). HIV/AIDS and the public health paradox: A poststructural discourse analysis of the impact of HIV Messaging on gay men in Nova Scotia. The International Journal of Health, Wellness and Society, 7(3), 91-104. DOI: 10.18848/2156-8960.

Abstract

Three decades of public health and health promotion policies and programs, in Nova Scotia, have aimed to reduce the rate of new HIV infections. Yet, gay men in this province continue to experience the highest rates of HIV transmission and have the highest proportion of people living with this disease in Canada. In this paper, the authors employ a Foucauldian conceptual framework and a qualitative post-structural discourse analysis to examine the role of public health in HIV messaging and how this has shaped our knowledge and understanding of gay men in the modern age of HIV/AIDS. Seventeen HIV activists in Nova Scotia were interviewed, and the transcripts are the textual source of the discourse analysis. An investigation of local public health efforts can illustrate the impact of the often-unseen dimensions of power and also the unintended consequences of health messaging on target populations. The findings suggest that public health efforts aimed at HIV prevention and stigma reduction are neither apolitical nor neutral. Rather, while these public policy efforts are aimed at HIV prevention, by attempting to regulate sexual subjectivities, they have become a form of discourse that has entered into the subject experience of gay men. This paper explores some of the ways in which public health HIV discourse impacts the subject experience by examining the effects of mainstreaming HIV messaging, sanitizing messaging for public consumption, and avoiding candid discussions about gay men’s sexual practices in the context of public health.

https://doi.org/10.18848/2156-8960/CGP/v07i03/91-104

Masculinity, coping, and weightlifting in university men: A qualitative description of coping and psychological benefit.

Citation

Hutt, E., & Numer, M. (2015). Masculinity, coping, and weightlifting in university men: A qualitative description of coping and psychological benefit. Journal of Sporting Cultures and Identities, 6(3), 15-27. DOI: 10.18848/2381-7070/CGP/v06i03/54072

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated how masculinity interacted with the use of weightlifting as a coping mechanism by university-aged men, and what psychological benefits men perceive in that sport. Participants were four men, aged 19 to 22, who lifted weights between three and six times per week. A qualitative description methodology was used to conduct this research and data was collected through individual semi-structured face-to-face interviews. This study found that participants identified with some traditional masculine ideals and described internal validation through weightlifting. The perceived benefits of weightlifting were experienced by becoming stronger, external validation through compliments from others, and reported social benefits from the gym community. The benefits of weightlifting itself were contextual and could either exacerbate or reduce psychological stress. Participants, however, reported important long-term coping benefits from weightlifting. Overall, engaging in weightlifting helped participants cope with psychological stressors, which could help inform practice in the field of men’s psychological and physical health.

https://doi.org/10.18848/2381-7070/CGP/v06i03/54072

The sexual health of gay men in the post-AIDS era: Feminist, post-structuralist and queer theory perspectives.

Citation

Numer, M., & Gahagan, J. (2009). The sexual health of gay men in the post-AIDS era: Feminist, post-structuralist and queer theory perspectives. International Journal of Men’s Health, 8(2), 155-168. DOI: 10.3149/jmh.0802.155

Abstract

This article discusses feminist, post-structuralist and queer theories as a framework for masculinities research on sexual health promotion efforts targeting gay men, particularly in relation to HIV prevention. The theories discussed have the potential to challenge the social categories associated with gender, sex, sexual identity and sexual orientation which often determine identities and subjectivities. Recognizing masculinity as a gender "performance" rather than a fixed identity enables health researchers to more fully investigate gendered sexual behaviors which are imbued with social, political and economic meaning. A combined feminist, post-structuralist and queer theoretical framework provides a way to understand how concepts of masculinity organize social interactions and how these in turn shape and inform the sexual health behaviors of men. The purpose of this article is to offer an approach for use by gay men's health researchers working on health promotion.

http://dx.doi.org/10.3149/jmh.0802.155

The sexual health of gay men: Exploring the intersections of identity, masculinities and sexual health promotion.

Citation

Numer, M. (2008). The sexual health of gay men: Exploring the intersections of identity, masculinities and sexual health promotion. The International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations Annual Review, 8(3), 249-254. DOI 10.18848/1447-9532/CGP/v08i03/39611

Abstract

This paper will explore the implications of traditional masculinity in relation to public health discourse aimed at the sexual health of gay men. The examination of gay men as gendered subjects who perform gender acts in relation to sexual health practices is critical to addressing issues of diversity in this sector of health care, particularly in relation to HIV/AIDS. Despite the growing attention given to the theory and practice associated with gay men’s sexual health behaviors, there remains a gap in the literature and a lack of understanding of dominant or hegemonic masculinity as it influences the sexual health practices of gay men. Traditionally, there is a paradoxical relationship between gay men and the notions of masculinity. While gay men theoretically hold a subordinate position in the hierarchy of heterosexual hegemonic masculinity, there exists a similar masculine hierarchy within the gay male community which in turn has an erotic association. That is, gay men are often ranked according to their ability to “measure up”, both in relation to other men and as sexual objects, to the standard of hegemonic masculinity which entail power, dominance, invulnerability and more. This situation, along with the recent theorizing of men’s practices of masculinity being associated with their poorer health, leads to the logical conclusion that gay men’s sexual health practices can be linked to a systemic hegemonic masculinity. If the full breadth and depth of sexual health among young gay men are to be considered in the development of health policy and health promotion, the intersections of gender, sex and sexuality must be explored. The aim of this argument is to present issues of diversity within the category “men”, and to illustrate the multiplicities and intersections of identity within the category “gay men”.

https://doi.org/10.18848/1447-9532/CGP/v08i03/39611