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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Scott Rhodes, PhD, MPH, CHES, Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Public Health Sciences, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1063, 336-713-5080, srhodes@wfubmc.edu, Leland Yee, PhD, MPH, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Epidemiology, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, and Kenneth Hergenrather, PhD, MSEd, MRC, Department of Counseling/Human and Organizational Studies, The George Washington University, 2134 G Street, NW, #318, Washington, DC 20052.

Background: Because the Southeastern USA is experiencing a disproportionate HIV infection rate compared to other regions of the country, we explored HIV behavioral risk disparities by race/ethnicity among self-identifying gay men.

Methods: Conceived and implemented as a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study, this rapid assessment collected demographic and HIV risk behavior data from gay men in the northwestern part of the state of North Carolina, using an assessment available in English and Spanish.

Results: Of 719 participants, 34.8% reported inconsistent condom use during anal intercourse in the past 3 months; 11.4% reported ever having had a sexually transmitted disease; 3.6% reported being HIV seropositive; and 26.0% reported illicit drug use during the past 30 days.

Compared to white participants, African American/black participants had significantly increased odds of reporting: intercourse with a female during the past 2 years; oral sex and receptive- and insertive-anal intercourse with multiple partners in the past 3 months; inconsistent condom use during anal intercourse during the past 3 months; illicit drug use during the past 30 days; and methamphetamine and ecstasy use during the past 30 days.

Hispanic/Latino participants had significantly increased odds of reporting: intercourse with a female partner during the past 2 years; receptive-anal intercourse with multiple partners in the past 3 months; inconsistent condom use during anal intercourse during the past 3 months; and never having been tested for HIV.

Conclusions: Rates of HIV risk behaviors among gay men remain high and racial/ethnic differences indicate the need for targeted and tailored prevention strategies.

Learning Objectives: