How stigma affects blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol in older gay and bisexual men with and without HIV

Stigma and the non-communicable disease syndemic in aging HIV positive and HIV negative MSM

NIH-funded research Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11373137

This project looks at how experiences of stigma and stress are linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol control in older men who have sex with men, both with and without HIV.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionRutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11373137 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would join a group of older men who have sex with men and answer questions about experiences with stigma, health care, mood, and substance use while researchers track medical info over time. The team will collect clinical measures and biological markers and review health records to see how non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia develop and are controlled. Researchers will compare people living with HIV and those without to understand how stigma and health-care interactions affect care and outcomes. The goal is to connect peoples' real-world experiences with measurable health changes over several years.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are men who have sex with men aged about 50 or older, either living with HIV or HIV-negative, who can provide health information and allow clinical tests and records to be used.

Not a fit: People younger than about 50, those who are not men who have sex with men, or those unwilling to share health information or provide samples are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from this work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to better, less stigmatizing care and improved prevention and management of hypertension, diabetes, and cholesterol problems for older men who have sex with men.

How similar studies have performed: This approach is relatively novel because few prospective studies have linked stigma and health-care experiences to combined non-communicable disease and HIV outcomes among aging men who have sex with men.

Where this research is happening

Newark, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.