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The Relationship Between Gender Role Conflict and Condom Use Among Black MSM

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Abstract

Gender role conflict may influence condom use among black MSM. We examined relationships between the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS), social/demographic variables and condom use among 456 black MSM. Higher total GRCS scores did not predict unprotected insertive anal intercourse (UIAI) or unprotected receptive anal intercourse (URAI) with men, but were associated with unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse (UVI/UAI) with women among bisexually active participants (n = 69). Higher perceived HIV risk reduced the likelihood of both UIAI and URAI with men. Internet recruitment venues, sexual discrimination experiences, higher numbers of sex partners and UVI/UAI with women all increased the likelihood of UIAI with men, while education (college/technical school or college degree) was associated with URAI with men. Future sexual health interventions for black MSM should emphasize broader social/demographic and alternative gender role variables with male sexual partners, while traditional GRCS variables may prove useful among those with female sexual partners.

Resumen

Los conflictos de género papel puede influir en el uso del condón entre los HSH negro. Se examinaron las relaciones entre el género papel Conflict Scale (CRG), sociales y variables demográficas y el uso del condón entre los HSH 456 negro. Los puntajes más altos CRG total no predecir sexo anal sin protección insertivo (UIAI) o relaciones sexuales sin protección anal receptivo (URAI) con los hombres, pero se asociaron con las relaciones sexuales vaginales o anales sin protección (UVI/AUI) con las mujeres bisexuales entre los participantes activos. Mayor percepción de riesgo del VIH reduce la probabilidad de que ambos UIAI y URAI con los hombres. Lugares de internet de contratación, las experiencias de discriminación sexual, un mayor número de parejas sexuales y UVI/AUI con mujeres de todo aumento de la probabilidad de UIAI con los hombres, mientras que la educación (colegio / escuela técnica o título universitario) se asoció con URAI con los hombres. Las futuras intervenciones de salud sexual de los HSH negro debe hacer hincapié en las variables sociales más amplios de género/demográficos y otros tipos de papel con sus parejas sexuales masculinas, mientras que las variables CRG tradicionales puede resultar útil en aquellos con parejas sexuales femeninas.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Minority HIV/AIDS Research Initiative (MARI) with the CDC. First, the authors would like to thank all the men who took the time to talk with us and participate in the study. The authors would like to also thank our community advisory board (CAB), Lisa Fitzpatrick, Byron Mason, Greg Amos, LaBron Hatcher, Mudia Uzzi, Richard Kaplan, Thishin Jackson, Keith Green, Cordell Carter, Tim’m West and Brandi Park for their invaluable contributions to this project. Additionally, we thank Jim O’Neil for generously allowing us to use his GRCS scale as a measure in our survey. Finally, we would like to thank John Peterson for his helpful suggestions on this manuscript. No financial disclosures were reported by the authors of this paper.

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

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Correspondence to David J. Malebranche.

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Malebranche, D.J., Gvetadze, R., Millett, G.A. et al. The Relationship Between Gender Role Conflict and Condom Use Among Black MSM. AIDS Behav 16, 2051–2061 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-0055-3

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