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Gay Identity and HIV Risk for Black and Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men

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Abstract

Strong gay identity among white men who have sex with men (MSM) has been associated with decreased HIV risk, but data for black and Latino MSM (BLMSM) are inconclusive. We examined gay identity and HIV risk among BLMSM to inform social and structural HIV intervention strategies. BLMSM were administered a computerized survey as part of an HIV research study during 2011–2012 conducted in New York City. We used a brief scale of Gay Identity Questionnaire. After data analysis, Stage I (not fully accepting) and Stage II (fully accepting) gay identity were determined based on participant responses. We used logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between gay identity with HIV risk and social determinant factors. Among 111 self-identified BLMSM (median age = 32 years, 68.4% with some college or higher education), 34.2% reported receptive anal sex without condoms in the previous three months. Gay Identity Questionnaire Scale assessment indicated that 22 (19.8%) were Stage I, and 85 (76.6%) were Stage II in this BLMSM sample. Stage II gay identity was more likely seen among BLMSM with high involvement in the gay community (aOR 3.2; CI 1.00, 10.26) and less likely among BLMSM who exchanged sex for food or shelter (aOR 0.15; CI 0.02, 0.98). Fully accepting gay identity may be protective for BLMSM as it relates to transactional sex; these factors warrant further research and consideration as part of HIV prevention strategies.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the men who participated, the Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training, and the Gay Men of African Descent for their participation in and support of this study. These data were presented in part at the 144th American Public Health Association Meeting in Denver, CO, November 1, 2016.

Funding

This study was supported with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Minority HIV/AIDS Research Initiative award # U01PS000677.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Mailstop E-45, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA

    Kirk D. Henny, Ashley Murray & Madeline Y. Sutton

  2. Community Health Program at Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York, New York City, NY, USA

    Jose Nanin

  3. ICF, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Zaneta Gaul

Authors
  1. Kirk D. Henny
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  2. Jose Nanin
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  3. Zaneta Gaul
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  5. Madeline Y. Sutton
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Correspondence to Kirk D. Henny.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Henny, K.D., Nanin, J., Gaul, Z. et al. Gay Identity and HIV Risk for Black and Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men. Sexuality & Culture 22, 258–270 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-017-9465-3

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