The HIV epidemic in the United States disproportionately affects cisgender Black women, who account for over half of new HIV diagnoses among women despite comprising a smaller share of the population. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective biomedical intervention, yet uptake among cisgender Black women remains critically low due to stigma, misinformation, and a lack of tailored public health messaging. This study examines social media discourse following Tamar Braxton’s public disclosure of PrEP use on Instagram, which sparked widespread commentary across her personal page and The Shade Room. A qualitative content analysis of 939 unique comments was conducted to identify prevailing attitudes, perceptions, and cultural narratives. Four major themes emerged: (1) support and advocacy, (2) misinformation, (3) stigma and judgment, and (4) questioning and curiosity. Subthemes of ageism and misogynoir highlighted how intersecting biases uniquely shape responses to cisgender Black women’s sexual health decisions. Results revealed both affirming and educational voices as well as pervasive misconceptions and moralistic judgments, with stigma and misinformation comprising over 60
Casual sexual relationship research has traditionally focused on dyadic relationship forms, including hookups, friends-with-benefits relationships, and situationships. Missing from these frameworks is a relationship structure increasingly recognized by adults themselves: the roster. Although roster dating has gained visibility in contemporary culture, little is known about how individuals define, construct, and experience having a roster. Using reflexive thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 46 adults (52.2
This article examines online sexual activities (OSA) among heterosexual adults with histories of established relationships from three age groups in Colima and Guadalajara, Mexico. Drawing on a social constructionist perspective and sexual script theory, it analyzes the prevalence and frequency of six digital sexual practices and compares participation by age group and sex. Adults in all three age groups reported OSA, although most engaged in them infrequently. Solitary or low-exposure activities, particularly viewing sexually explicit material and searching online for sexual information, were more common than practices requiring direct interaction, greater exposure, or contact with others. Age-related variations were found in several practices, although the effect sizes were very small and did not indicate a sharp age divide. Sex-based contrasts were also modest and practice-specific. Only viewing sexually explicit material was significantly more frequent among men. These patterns challenge dominant narratives that associate digital sexuality primarily with youth. Instead, they point to the ways in which the digital mediation of sexuality in adult life is shaped by socially situated processes of technological appropriation, characterized by non-linear trajectories and partial convergences across adulthood. These dynamics are articulated with normative continuities, gendered regulation, and unequal social conditions surrounding desire and intimacy in digital environments.
This study draws upon a survey of 95 independent online sex workers operating escorting businesses in the United States and examines variations in their self-reported monthly earnings. Analysis of earnings by demographic variables and escorts’ business practices suggests there are significant racial and gender disparities, as well as economic drivers of risk. This study finds that independent escorts with relatively lower earnings are more likely to engage in risky behaviors with clients to obtain short-term financial gains or to retain clients upon whom they depend as insurance against earnings fluctuations and shifting demand in commercial sex markets. Conversely, escorts with higher earnings seem less likely to engage in risky interactions, more likely to retain control during client interactions, and more insulated against market fluctuation. Notwithstanding its relative autonomy and economic privilege, the niche of independent escorts is also characterized by stratification, earnings inequities, and differential experiences of risk and reward.
