Stigma, Place, and HIV: The Legacy of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Disaster Among Indian Men Who Have Sex with Men

HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in Bhopal during 2023–24 is elevated near the 1984 gas leak site, reaching 21.7% within 1 km.

• Why it matters: Major “big events” can leave lasting effects on infectious disease transmission, but how place-based stigma and risk persist for MSM after industrial disasters is unclear.
• What they did: Using respondent-driven sampling (n=750), researchers mapped where participants met partners in the past year and calculated RDS-II weighted prevalences by distance to the leak site.
• The result: HIV viremia (≥200 copies/ml), sex work, and sexual stigma were higher in proximity, and stigma was significantly linked to meeting partners within 2 km, suggesting targeted venue interventions.

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