Intersecting stigma and sexual relationships among minoritised sexual minority men and nonbinary individuals assigned male at birth in Boston, USA.

In the USA, Latino, Black, and other ethnically or racially minoritised sexual minority men and nonbinary individuals assigned male at birth experience a disproportionate burden of HIV and significant stigma that can impede HIV prevention. Understanding how stigma shapes sexual relationships and networking is critical for informing HIV prevention efforts. We conducted interviews with 18 ethnically or racially minoritised sexual minority men and nonbinary individuals assigned male at birth recruited through the National HIV Behavioural Surveillance Project (cycle 6) in Boston, Massachusetts (2020-2021). Eligible participants were at least 18 years old, identified as men or nonbinary (assigned male at birth), identified as persons of colour, lived in the Boston metropolitan area, and reported ever having sex with a man. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants (mean age = 26.4 years) described race-, ethnicity-, and sexuality-related stigma, including sexual fetishisation, objectification, rejection, and exclusion by potential partners. These experiences influenced sexual networking by fostering increased scepticism, guardedness, selective partner choice, and pre-emptive disclosure of marginalised identities to reduce anticipated rejection. Themes reflected broader patterns of stigma and stigmatisation rather than HIV epidemic-specific experiences.