TY - JOUR
T1 - The Management of Social Standing: Characterizing the Influence of HIV Stigma on HIV Talk and Testing Behavior in Philippine Key Populations Using a Grounded Theory Approach
AU - Bendicion, Gideon Livingstone
AU - Robles, Augil Marie
AU - Muyargas, Moniq
AU - Balensoy III, Timoteo
AU - Mendoza, Bea Izabeaux
AU - Sarmiento, Kiara Angela
AU - Demaisip Farinas, ML
AU - Pamoso, Aron Harold
AU - Villasanta, Angelique Pearl Virtue
AU - Just Lynn, Panaligan
AU - Violago, Joseph Eleut
AU - Reyes, Ver
AU - Fontilla, Jonathan
N1 - Gideon Livingstone P. Bendicion conducts research on the lived experiences of stigmatized populations, with a focus on understanding health behavior. His current research investigates the conversational dynamics of families with key population children, aiming to identify conditions that facilitate and hinder HIV conversation. His past work includes qualitative research for the Philippine Department of Health Epidemiology Bureau. He holds a master’s of science in the psychology and neuroscience of mental health (distinction) from King’s College London and a master’s of arts in social psychology from Ateneo de Manila University.
Augil Marie Q. Robles is an assistant professor at the Division of Social Sciences of the University of the Philippines Visayas, where she teaches social, cultural, health, and Filipino psychology. She exerts a cultural and social psychological lens in studying emplaced experiences, meanings, and narratives. Her publications contribute to the literature on HIV treatment adherence, HIV stigma, family planning, social support, and asylum-seeking.
Moniq Muyargas is an assistant professor in the Division of Social Sciences at the University of the Philippines Visayas whose scholarship focuses on queer aging, gender and sexualities, critical phenomenology, critical qualitative methodologies, LGBT psychology, and the teaching of psychology. She has a PhD in Counselling Studies (Research) from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Timoteo Balensoy, III is an instructor at the University of the Philippines Visayas. He teaches courses in psycholinguistics, general psychology, and personality. His research interests include communication, queer lived experiences, and queer language studies, particularly in inclusive learning environments.
Bea Izabeaux T. Mendoza is a registered psychometrician and a graduate student in clinical psychology. Her research interests include the lived experiences of marginalized communities, HIV stigma, and the psychological well-being of individuals who have experienced stigma and violence. She has presented her research at the Psychological Association of the Philippines Convention and the Philippine Queer Studies Conference. She is currently engaged in qualitative research and clinical training, with a focus on mental health advocacy, counseling, and psychotherapy.
Kiara Angela A. Sarmiento (she/her) is an HR practitioner at Sagility Philippines and a graduate student in clinical psychology at San Carlos University. Her research interest is in the narratives of fostered and adopted children in the Philippines.
ML Demaisip Farinas is a part-time faculty in the psychology program at Filamer Christian University. A registered psychometrician and licensed professional teacher, he is passionate about exploring how culture and identity shape human behavior. His research interests span consumer psychology, LGBTQ psychology, and cultural psychology.
Aron Harold G. Pamoso (he/his) is a PhD candidate in the School of Medicine and Psychology at the Australian National University. His research centers on critical and cultural approaches to health equity and social justice, particularly among multiply marginalized populations. His doctoral project investigates how lived experience leadership can promote equity in HIV responses in the Philippines and examines the impact of intersectional stigma on the mental and sexual health of men who have sex with men. His collaborative work contributes to the development of culturally attuned HIV interventions in LGBTQ+ communities across Southeast Asia and beyond.
Angelique Pearl Virtue P. Villasanta is an assistant professor at the Department of Psychology of Ateneo de Manila University. Her research contributes to the field of critical clinical psychology. Her current research projects are in the fields of sexual violence, trauma, and healing.
Just Lynn D. Panaligan is a senior psychometrician and associate psychologist at MindNation Inc., conducting psychological testing and assessments. She researches underexplored issues, including juvenile delinquency in the Philippine war on drugs, the experiences of Filipino mental health professionals, and issues related to HIV stigma, treatment adherence, and social support.
Joseph Eleut G. Violago is a Filipino psychologist who advocates for mental health and LGBTQIA+ issues. He finished his master’s in counseling psychology and bachelor’s of science in psychology from Ateneo de Manila University. He is presently affiliated with the Ateneo Bulatao Center for Psychological Services, the Ateneo University Gender Hub, and the Ateneo Department of Psychology. Through these engagements, he hopes to work toward making mental health resources more accessible for Filipinos while also advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community in the Philippines.
Ver Reyes is the first transwoman president of the Psychological Association of the Philippines.
Jonathan Fontilla, MD, is a public health specialist and independent consultant affiliated with HIV and gender programs in the Asia-Pacific region. He has over 20 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, and program development with governments, UN agencies, and civil society organizations. His publications include national HIV and TB program reviews and multicountry assessments for the Global Fund, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and the World Health Organization. He has received recognition for advancing community-led HIV responses and gender-responsive frameworks, with research interests in inclusive health systems and innovative service delivery.
PY - 2025/11/20
Y1 - 2025/11/20
N2 - We characterize the way human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) stigma hinders HIV conversations and testing. Using grounded theory principles, we analyzed in-depth interviews of the experiences of select Philippine key populations (groups with high HIV burden) and their families: 19 men who have sex with men (KPM), 16 transgender women (KPW), and 16 parents of KPM/W. Results show how KPM/W protect the state of being respected by others (management of social standing), a task they engage in by strategically modulating behavior in different life domains, including when considering HIV conversations and testing. Our results specify the management of social standing as an object being threatened by stigma and as a process making KPM/W behavior susceptible to the influence of HIV stigma, even for KPM/W who may not possess the mark of positive serostatus. This raises questions about the theorizing of stigma, which traditionally has focused on the susceptibility of marked but not unmarked individuals.
AB - We characterize the way human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) stigma hinders HIV conversations and testing. Using grounded theory principles, we analyzed in-depth interviews of the experiences of select Philippine key populations (groups with high HIV burden) and their families: 19 men who have sex with men (KPM), 16 transgender women (KPW), and 16 parents of KPM/W. Results show how KPM/W protect the state of being respected by others (management of social standing), a task they engage in by strategically modulating behavior in different life domains, including when considering HIV conversations and testing. Our results specify the management of social standing as an object being threatened by stigma and as a process making KPM/W behavior susceptible to the influence of HIV stigma, even for KPM/W who may not possess the mark of positive serostatus. This raises questions about the theorizing of stigma, which traditionally has focused on the susceptibility of marked but not unmarked individuals.
UR - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/397802535_The_Management_of_Social_Standing_Characterizing_the_Influence_of_HIV_Stigma_on_HIV_Talk_and_Testing_Behavior_in_Philippine_Key_Populations_Using_a_Grounded_Theory_Approach
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105022312467
U2 - 10.1177/00221465251388639
DO - 10.1177/00221465251388639
M3 - Article
SN - 0022-1465
JO - Journal of Health and Social Behavior
JF - Journal of Health and Social Behavior
ER -