HIV/AIDS has been identified as a health crisis among African-American Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM). Furthermore, due to more effective medical treatments, HIV-positive individuals are healthier and more sexually active, raising new questions regarding HIVdisclosure. This research utilizes grounded theory to explore the role of HIV-related stigma on sexual communication, disclosure strategies, and experiences of HIV-disclosure in a sample of twenty HIV+, African-American MSM recruited from a community-based organization. The study found that HIV-disclosure strategies are influenced by both direct and indirect experiences of stigma and decisions to disclose are based on whether a sexual partner can be trusted to keep HIV-status information private. Limited trust decreases the likelihood that HIV-disclosure will occur in casual or anonymous sexual encounters. Therefore, interventions should take into account the role of trust-building as a factor in sexual-risk negotiation and HIV-disclosure practices.