Rural-urban comparison of receipt of appropriate safe-sex preventive education, rates of HIV screenings, and HIV status for LGBT-identified patients

There are currently no quantitative studies examining the screening behaviors, the receipt of appropriate safe-sex preventive education by healthcare providers, and HIV status of rural LGBT individuals. Rural LGBT individuals are not only more likely to experience unique health risks due to barriers to care and other vulnerabilities of rural living, but also have a tendency to be less comfortable disclosing their sexual identity to others due to the conservative climate of the majority of rural areas and therefore may not actively seek screenings and safe-sex education related to their sexual orientation as frequently. Rural and urban sexual minority participants are currently being recruited (current N= 1,043) using an online survey and snowballing methods. Participants complete a series of demographic and health-related questions pertaining to preventive care practices and current HIV status. Interim analysis reveals that the majority of participants deny receiving appropriate safe-sex education from their provider. In addition, a significant portion of both the male and female participants have never been screened for HIV/STIs. Final analysis with include rural-urban comparisons and it is expected that rural participants will report less frequent screenings and receive appropriate safe-sex education less often compared to urban participants. Gender differences and rates of HIV status for rural and urban participants will also be examined. Implications for rural patients and providers will be discussed.