History of Arrest and Associated Factors among Men Who Have Sex with Men

Abstract

Incarceration has been proposed to be a driving factor in the disproportionate impact of HIV in African-American communities. However, few data have been reported on disparities in criminal justice involvement by race among men who have sex with men (MSM). To describe history of arrest and associated factors among, we used data from CDC's National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system. Respondents were recruited by time-space sampling in venues frequented by MSM in 15 US cities from 2003 to 2005. Data on recent arrest (in the 12 months before the interview), risk behaviors, and demographic information were collected by face-to-face interview for MSM who did not report being HIV-positive. Six hundred seventy-nine (6.8%) of 10,030 respondents reported recent arrest. Compared with white MSM, black MSM were more likely to report recent arrest history (odds ratio (OR), 1.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-2.1). Men who were less gay-identified (bisexual [OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9] or heterosexual [OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.5]) were more likely to report recent arrest than homosexually identified men. In addition, men who reported arrest history were more likely to have used non-injection (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 2.4-3.6) and injection (OR, 4.7; 95%, 3.3-6.7) drugs, exchanged sex (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 2.1-3.4), and had a female partner (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-2.0) in the 12 months before interview. Recent arrest was associated with insertive unprotected anal intercourse in the 12 months before interview (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.7). Racial differences in arrest seen in the general US population are also present among MSM, and history of arrest was associated with high-risk sex. Future research and interventions should focus on clarifying the relationship between criminal justice involvement and sexual risk among MSM, particularly black MSM.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Association between Arrest and Unprotected Anal Sex among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men: The P18 Cohort Study

“…14,15 Among MSM in the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System (NHBS), 6.8 % had been arrested in the past 12 months. 16 One study has suggested that male youth who report same-sex attraction or a same-sex relationship are more likely to be stopped by the police as compared to heterosexuals. 17 Arrest has been associated with HIV risk behaviors.…”

“…19 Among MSM in the NHBS, arrest in the past 12 months was significantly associated with a higher odds of non-injection and injection drug use, unprotected anal sex (UAS), exchanging sex, and six or more male sex partners in the last 12 months. 16 Additionally, Fisher et al 14 reported that MSM with a history of arrest were more likely to have had an STI and have paid or been paid for sex, and Kurtz et al 15 found substance-using MSM in Miami were more likely to experience high levels of sex sensation seeking.…”

Syndemic Health Disparities and Resilience Processes Related to HIV Transmission Risk among African American/Black Men in South Florida

“…Syndemic Health Disparities among African American/Black MSM A brief review of the literature on African American/Black MSM demonstrates the presence of health and social disparities related to substance use (Harawa et al 2008;Mimiaga et al 2010;Hatfield et al, 2009;Tobin et al 2011), HIV transmission or infection risk (Millett et al 2006;Millett et al 2007;Oster et al 2011), arrest history (Lim et al 2011), inadequate coping skills and social support (Kraft et al 2000;Shoptaw et al 2009), and social or cultural barriers Saleh et al 2011;Garofalo et al 2010;Harawa et al 2008;Haile et al 2011), among others. Whereas, one apparent article in the literature has addressed these concerns from a syndemic perspective (Dyer et al 2012) it was unable to address any larger socio-cultural or structural factors that contribute the specific health disparities among this population.…”

“…The poverty rate among African Americans is highest among all racial/ethnic groups, and it is nearly double the national poverty rate (DeNavas-Walt et al 2012). Overall, African-Americans are more likely to be homeless, to be incarcerated, and to experience inequitable access to social, educational, or material resources (Lim et al 2011, Bassuk et al 1997Susser et al 1993;Brondolo et al 2009). As cited in Williams et al (2010), the African American/Black population in the U.S. accounts 48% of individuals living with HIV/AIDS.…”

“…Additionally, incarceration is a risk factor for HIV among African American/Black MSM, although the way in which it increases risk is not clear (Lim et al 2011). Such data provide evidence for the social and historical consequences of race and class in the U.S. (Baer et al 1997) though an investigation of these factors as related to HIV is lacking (Oster et al 2011).…”