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AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print Jun 16, 2005
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©
American Journal of Public Health, 10.2105/AJPH.2004.046714

Analytic Essay Forum

The Trouble With "MSM" and "WSW": Erasure of the Sexual-Minority Person in Public Health Discourse

Rebecca Young 1 Ilan Meyer 2*

1 Barnard College
2 Columbia University

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: im15{at}columbia.edu.


  Abstract

"Men who have sex with men" (MSM) and "women who have sex with women" (WSW) are purportedly neutral terms commonly used in public health discourse. But they are problematic terms that often imply a lack of lesbian or gay identity and an absence of community, networks, and relationships in which same-gender pairings mean more than merely sexual behavior. Overuse of "MSM" and "WSW" adds to a history of scientific labeling of same-sex pairing that reflects, and inadvertently advances, heterosexist notions. We do not advocate for the complete demise of "MSM" and "WSW," but believe that a decade after their introduction, the terms have become institutionalized and risk inattentive usage. We urge public health professionals to be vigilant about use of the terms: while helpful sometimes, MSM and WSW must be recognized as a sort of "lowest common denominator" and reserved for occasions when it is impossible to ascertain information on social aspects of sexuality.

Key Words: HIV/AIDS, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Persons




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