Racial Mixing and HIV Risk Among Men Who Have Sex with Men

Abstract

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of MSM using a time-location-sampling design in San Francisco during [2007][2008]. The investigation focused on the selection of sexual partners, partner preferences, perceptions of HIV risk, and social mixing with respect to race/ethnicity. The sample of 1,142 MSM was 56% White, 22% Latino, 14% Asian, and 9% Black and reported on 3,532 sexual partnerships. Black MSM had a significant, threefold higher level of same race sexual partnering than would be expected by chance alone (i.e., in the absence of selective forces with respect to race among partners). Black MSM were reported as the least preferred as sexual partners, believed at higher risk for HIV, counted less often among friends, were considered hardest to meet, and perceived as less welcome at the common venues that cater to gay men in San Francisco by other MSM. Our findings support the hypothesis that the sexual networks of Black MSM, constrained by the preferences and attitudes of non-Blacks and the social environment, are pushed to be more highly interconnected than other groups with the potential consequence of more rapid spread of HIV and a higher sustained prevalence of infection. The racial disparity in HIV observed for more than a decade will not disappear until the challenges posed by a legacy of racism towards Blacks in the US are addressed.

Do Psychiatric Disorders Moderate the Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors in Young Men Who Have Sex with Men? A Longitudinal Perspective

“…HIV is spread both from one's individual risk behaviors as well as the risk behaviors and HIV prevalence of others in his sexual network. 9 Given that African-American YMSM are more likely to have partners of their own race, 41,47 this phenomenon may contribute to higher rates of HIV infection in African-American YMSM.…”

Molecular analysis allows inference into HIV transmission among young men who have sex with men in the United States

“…First, the sexual networks of black/African American MSM are more likely to be exclusively or predominantly other black/African American MSM [4,9,[22][23][24][25]. Second, because black/ African American MSM may have higher levels of HIV prevalence and incidence and lower levels of HIV care and viral suppression than other MSM, black/African American MSM may be at increased risk for HIV transmission with their black/African American partners than with other partners [26][27][28].…”

“…The availability of these data enabled us to identify potential transmission links between MSM, explore transmission networks instead of sexual networks, and prevent problems associated with recall bias [4,23,24,[31][32][33].…”

“…Estimated percentage of infections from older partners among men who have sex with men who are aged [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] The multivariable model included all variables listed and also controlled for year of diagnosis.…”

The Relationship Between Discrimination and High-Risk Social Ties by Race/Ethnicity: Examining Social Pathways of HIV Risk

“…These assortative racial mixing patterns are argued to be a driving force of disparities in HIV transmission by race/ethnicity. 41,42 Experiences of discrimination, particularly racial discrimination, may facilitate racial mixing patterns and further concentrate disease risk. Thus examining discrimination as a factor influencing social tie formation could highlight a subset (e.g., those who experience discrimination) within high-risk drug users to target with prevention and intervention programs.…”