Skip to main content
Log in

Unmarried Latino Men who Report Sex with Men: Psychocultural and Demographic Characteristics

  • Published:
AIDS and Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Latino men who have sex with other men are disproportionately affected by AIDS/HIV. We describe sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics of a probability sample of 744 unmarried Latino men, comparing men reporting at least one sexual encounter with another man (MSM; 5.5% of sample) with men reporting sex exclusively with women (MSW) or reporting they were not sexually active (NSA). MSM were significantly older, more acculturated, and more educated than others. MSM were more comfortable with sexuality and reported over twice as many sexual partners in the previous year as MSW. MSM always used condoms with 83% of their multiple partners, compared to 50% of MSW. Homophobia and sexual discomfort among MSM may decrease self-efficacy to use condoms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Almaguer, T. (1993). Chicano men: A cartography of homosexual identity and behavior. In H. Abelove, M. A. Barale, and D. M. Halperin (Eds.), The lesbian and gay studies reader (pp. 255–272). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arguelles, L., and Rich, B. R. (1989). Homosexuality, homophobia, and revolution: Notes toward an understanding of the Cuban lesbian and gay experience. In M. B. Duberman, M. Vivinus, and G. Chauncey (Eds.), Hidden from history: Reclaiming the gay and lesbian past (pp. 441–455). New York: New American Library.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billy, J. O., Tanfer, K., Grady, W. R., and Klepinger, D. H. (1993). The sexual behavior of men in the United States. Family Planning Perspectives, 25, 52–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Binson, D., Michaels, S., Stall, R., Gagnon, J., Coates, T., and Catania, J. (1995). Prevalence and social distribution of men who have sex with men: United States and its urban centers. Journal of Sex Research, 32, 245–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cairo, L., Moraes, A. M., Miller, R., and Genaro, M. (1995, June). Social networks of men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) and HIV-preventive behaviors. Presentation at the Fifth Biennial Conference on Community Research and Action, Chicago, Illinois.

  • Carballo-Diéguez, A., and Dolezal, C. (1995). Association between history of childhood sexual abuse and adult HIV-risk sexual behavior in Puerto Rican men who have sex with men. Child Abuse and Neglect, 19, 595–605.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrier, J. M. (1985). Mexican male bisexuality. Journal of Homosexuality, 11, 75–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catania, J., Coates, T., Stall, R., Bye, L., Kegeles, S., Capell, F., Henne, J., McKusick, L., Morin, S., Turner, H., and Pollack, L. (1991). Changes in condom use among homosexual men in San Francisco. Health Psychology, 10, 190–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1995). Update: Trends in AIDS among men-who-have-sex-with-men—United States, 1989–1994. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 44, 401–404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1996). HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 8, 11–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dearing, J. W., Meyer, G., and Rogers, E. M. (1994). Diffusion theory and HIV risk behavior change. In R. J. DiClemente and J. L. Peterson (Eds.), Preventing AIDS: Theories and methods of behavioral interventions (pp. 79–93). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díaz, R. M. (1995). HIV risk in Latino gay/bisexual men: A community in danger. The National Latino/a Lesbian and Gay Organization (LLEGO). HIV Prevention Series, No. 1. Washington, DC.

  • Díaz, R. M. (1997). Latino gay men and the psychocultural barriers to AIDS prevention. In M. Levin, J. Gagnon, and P. Nardi (Eds.), A plague of our own: The impact of the AIDS epidemic on the gay and lesbian communities. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díaz, R. M. (1998). Latino gay men and HIV: Culture, sexuality, and risk behavior. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díaz, R. M., Stall, R. D., Hoff, C., Daigle, D., and Coates, T. J. (1996). HIV risk among Latino gay men in the Southwestern United States. AIDS Education and Prevention, 8, 415–429.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doll, L. S., Byers, R. H., Bolan, G., Douglas, J. M., Moss, P. M., Weller, P. D., Joy, D., Bartholow, B. N., and Harrison, J. S. (1991). Homosexual men who engage in high-risk sexual behavior: A multicenter comparison. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 18, 170–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doll, L. S., Petersen, L. R., White, C. R., Johnson, E. S., Ward, J. W., and the Blood Donors Study Group (1992). Homosexually and nonhomosexually identified men who have sex with men: A behavioral comparison. Journal of Sex Research, 29, 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekstrand, M. L., and Coates, T. J. (1990). Maintenance of safer sexual behaviors and predictors of risky sex: The San Francisco Men's Health Study. American Journal of Public Health, 80, 973–977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay, R., Turner, C., Klassen, A., and Gagnon, J. (1989). Prevalence and patterns of same-gender sexual contact among men. Science, 243, 338–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • García García, M. L., Valdespino, J., Izazola, J., Palacios, M., and Sepúlveda, J. (1991). Bisexuality in Mexico: Current perspectives. In R. Teilman, M. Carballo, and A. Hendricks (Eds.), Bisexuality and HIV/AIDS: A global perspective (pp. 41–58). Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • González, F. J., and Espín, O. M. (1996). Latinos and homosexuality. In R. P. Cabaj and T. S. Stein (Eds.), Textbook of homosexuality and mental health (pp. 583–601). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalton, G. (1983). Introduction to survey sampling. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lancaster, R. N. (1988). Subject honor and object shame: The construction of male homosexuality and stigma in Nicaragua. Ethnology, 27, 111–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laumann, E. O., Gagnon, J. H., Michael, R. T., and Michaels, S. (1994). The social organization of sexuality: Sexual practices in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, B. V., and Gómez, C. A. (1994). Latinos, HIV disease, and culture: Strategies for HIV prevention. In P. T. Cohen, M. A. Sande, and P. A. Volberding (Eds.), The AIDS knowledge base, 2nd ed. (pp. 10.8.1–13). Boston: Little Brown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, B. V., Gómez, C. A., and Tschann, J. M. (1993). Condom use among Hispanic men with secondary female sexual partners. Public Health Reports, 108, 742–750.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, B. V., Gómez, C. A., Tschann, J. M., and Gregorich, S. E. (1997). Condom use in unmarried Latino men: A test of cultural constructs. Health Psychology, 16, 458–467.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, G., Sabogal, F., Marín, B. V., Otero-Sabogal, R., and Pérez-Stable, E. (1987). Development of a short acculturation scale for Hispanics. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Science, 9, 183–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, B. V., Tschann, J. M., Gómez, C. A., and Gregorich, S. E. (1998). Self-efficacy to use condoms in unmarried Latino adults. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26, 53–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marks, G., Bundek, N. I., Richardson, J. L., Ruiz, M. S., Maldonado, N., and Mason, H. R. C. (1992). Self-disclosure of HIV infection: Preliminary results from a sample of Hispanic men. Health Psychology, 11, 300–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason, H. R., Marks, G., Simoni, J. M., Ruiz, M. S., and Richardson, J. L. (1995). Culturally sanctioned secrets? Latino men's nondisclosure of HIV infection to family, friends, and lovers. Health Psychology, 14, 6–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Public Media Center. (1995, October). The impact of homophobia and other social biases on AIDS. Special Report. San Francisco, CA: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramírez, J., Suárez, E., de la Rosa, G., Castro, M. A., and Zimmerman, M. A. (1994). AIDS knowledge and sexual behavior among Mexican gay and bisexual men. AIDS Education and Prevention, 6, 163–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S., and Turner, C. (1991). Male-male sexual contact in the U.S.A.: Findings from five sample surveys, 1970–1990. Journal of Sex Research, 28, 491–519.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troiden, R. R. (1988). Homosexual identity development. Journal of Adolescent Health Care, 9, 105–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, García, J., and Montgomery, P. (1991). The Hispanic population in the United States, March 1991. Current Population Reports: Population Characteristics, Series P-20, No. 455.

  • Waksberg, J. (1978). Sampling methods for random digit dialing. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 73, 40–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winkelstein, W., Samuel, M., Padian, N., Wiley, J. A., Lang, W., Anderson, R. E., and Levy, J. A. (1987). The San Francisco Men's Health Study: III. Reduction in HIV transmission among homosexual/bisexual men, 1982–86. American Journal of Public Health, 76, 685–689.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

VanOss Marín, B., González, F.J. & Gómez, C.A. Unmarried Latino Men who Report Sex with Men: Psychocultural and Demographic Characteristics. AIDS Behav 2, 203–212 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022185701025

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022185701025

Navigation