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High-Risk Sexual Behavior, HIV/STD Prevalence, and Risk Predictors in the Social Networks of Young Roma (Gypsy) Men in Bulgaria

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Abstract

Roma (Gypsies), the largest and most disadvantaged ethnic minority group in Europe, are believed to be vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. This study’s aim was to examine HIV risk in 6 Roma male sociocentric networks (n = 405 men) in Bulgaria. Participants were interviewed concerning their risk practices and tested for HIV/STDs. High-risk sexual behaviors were common. Over 57% of men had multiple sexual partners in the past 3 months. Over one-third of men reported both male and female partners in the past year. Condom use was low. Greater levels of sexual risk were associated with lower intentions and self-efficacy for using condoms, drug use, having male partners, knowing HIV-positive persons, and having higher AIDS knowledge but no prior HIV testing. Two men had HIV infection, 3.7% gonorrhea, and 5.2% chlamydia. HIV prevention interventions directed toward high-risk social networks of Roma are needed before HIV infection becomes more widely established.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grant R01-DA023854 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and grants P30-MH52776 and R24-MH082471from the National Institute of Mental Health. The authors thank Ruzanna Aleksanyan, Kevin Brown, Vanya Pavlova, and Zina Popova for their assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Center for AIDS Intervention Research (CAIR), International HIV Prevention Research Core, Medical College of Wisconsin, 2071 North Summit Avenue, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, USA

    Yuri A. Amirkhanian, Jeffrey A. Kelly, Wayne J. DiFranceisco & Timothy L. McAuliffe

  2. Municipal Clinical Infectious Disease Hospital Named After S.P. Botkin, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Yuri A. Amirkhanian & Roman A. Khoursine

  3. Heath and Social Development Foundation, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Elena Kabakchieva, Radostina Antonova, Sylvia Vassileva & Boyan Vassilev

  4. Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Elena Petrova

Authors
  1. Yuri A. Amirkhanian
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  2. Jeffrey A. Kelly
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  3. Elena Kabakchieva
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  4. Radostina Antonova
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  5. Sylvia Vassileva
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  6. Wayne J. DiFranceisco
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  7. Timothy L. McAuliffe
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  8. Boyan Vassilev
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  9. Elena Petrova
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  10. Roman A. Khoursine
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Correspondence to Yuri A. Amirkhanian.

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Amirkhanian, Y.A., Kelly, J.A., Kabakchieva, E. et al. High-Risk Sexual Behavior, HIV/STD Prevalence, and Risk Predictors in the Social Networks of Young Roma (Gypsy) Men in Bulgaria. J Immigrant Minority Health 15, 172–181 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9596-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9596-4

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