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Gay men's recreational use of Viagra and similar drugs has received considerable attention in the public health literature, implicating Viagra as a risk factor for HIV transmission. Framed by work on the pharmaceuticalization of everyday life and critical Viagra studies, gay men's accounts are analysed to assess the ways in which Viagra is understood, valued and experienced. Viagra was commonly described as a corrective remedy that guaranteed erectile performance, aided condom use and simplified decisions about safe sex. The mismatch between public health discourse and gay men's understandings of Viagra, as well as the reliance on Viagra for safe sex, are discussed in relation to harm reduction and HIV prevention efforts, suggesting a need to encourage critical reflection on sexuopharmaceutical use among gay men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the introduction of antiretroviral drug treatments, there has been increased interest in the psychological aspects of living with HIV and a growth of related research and therapeutic literature. While there has been concern about the `remedicalization' of HIV, there is apparently less concern about its `psychologization'. This article considers how the expansion of psychological discourse about HIV impacts on the lives of HIV-positive people in the era of contemporary treatments. Through analysis of group discussions with HIV-positive gay men, we examine how psychological strategies and terminology are adopted or reworked to cope with the uncertainties of living with HIV. We consider both the enabling and constraining effects of psychological modes of regulation, as they are taken up and reworked by HIV-positive people. Our analysis suggests a need for greater scrutiny of the ways in which psychological techniques are employed as solutions to the ambiguities of living with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outlines the general situation for lesbian and gay couples attempting to migrate internationally, and considers how seeking lesbian and gay marriage or partnership rights may ameliorate these problems. Lesbian and gay immigration; Immigration criteria that lesbian and gay couples must meet to prove that they have a genuine relationship; Pros and cons of same-sex marriages or civil unions.

Discusses how young people employ a discourse of authenticity when talking about leisure, based on accounts of the lesbian and gay scene of bars and clubs in Birmingham, England. View of the scene as a space to be authentic; Elaboration of the contradictions inherent in constructions of authentic spaces and identities.