Paper short abstract:

Stigma regarding men who have sex with men (MSM) is related to sexual risk behavior. Stigma can be subdivided into perceived, experienced and internalized stigma. Each contributes to the loss of future and therefore it increases mechanisms by which stigma leads to negative outcomes, including sexual risk behavior.

Paper long abstract:

Stigma regarding men who have sex with men (MSM) is related to sexual risk behavior. Stigma can be subdivided into perceived, experienced and internalized stigma. Social pressure is reducing the options of choice, influencing MSM partner search and their sexual behavior. "Coming out", the act of declaring one selves as gay in context of Slovenian heteronormative society, can become an act of closing ones options in future, regarding sexually transmitted infections. Since MSM are difficult to reach, the central question is how to gather most relevant data to inform future disease prevention and sexual education policy efforts. Development of specific and adequate methodological approach for the study of "hidden population" is the central question of the paper. Author discusses the use of different sociological and epidemiological approaches in MSM sexual behavior research. In that context the possibilities of anthropological qualitative research are presented.