Sexual Behavior Varies Between Same-Race and Different-Race Partnerships: A Daily Diary Study of Highly Sexually Active Black, Latino, and White Gay and Bisexual Men

Abstract

Racial homophily (partnering with those of the same race) has been suggested as contributing to racial disparities in HIV among gay and bisexual men (GBM). Using a daily diary study, we examined racial homophily and its role in anal sexual behaviors in a sample of highly sexually active Black, White, and Latino GBM (N = 294, n = 3107 sexual events). In general, (1) men tended to partner with others of the same race, (2) HIV was more prevalent among men of color, and (3) race acted independent of whether one would engage in behaviors that would put them at highest risk for transmitting HIV (i.e., no main or interaction effects for insertive condomless anal sex (CAS) among HIV-positive men, and no main or interaction effects for receptive CAS among HIV-negative men). There were some main and interactive effects observed for lower risk behaviors (receptive CAS among HIV-positive men and insertive CAS among HIV-negative). Our findings suggest that racial disparities in HIV may be due to a higher exposure frequency (i.e., the frequency with which one comes into contact with a partner where a transmission could occur). However, men were also less likely to have anal sex when having sex with someone of the same race—a finding that works against the premise of higher exposure frequency. Future researchers should examine both racial homophily as well as variation in sexual behavior based on same-race or different-race partnerships.

HIV, sexual risk and ethnicity among gay and bisexual men in England: survey evidence for persisting health inequalities

“…The authors pointed to ‘common roots’ for this finding in ‘common experiences such as discrimination, cultural norms valuing masculinity, concerns about confidentiality during HIV testing or treatment, low access to HIV drugs, threats of violence or incarceration, and few targeted HIV prevention interventions’ 14. Sociosexual network effects and associations between partnership race characteristics and sexual behaviours may also be important 15. Our findings here also suggest that multiple non-steady condomless anal sex partners are important in understanding differences in HIV.…”

Sexual Networks of Racially Diverse Young MSM Differ in Racial Homophily But Not Concurrency

“…While homophily cannot explain the emergence of disparities, higher levels of homophily could help maintain higher rates of infection within high prevalence groups due to the racial segregation in sexual networks. 22 Preliminary studies have identified strong racial homophily in the sexual networks of MSM 23–25 and YMSM. 26…”

A New Era of HIV Risk: It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know (and How Infectious)

“…In another diary study, Grov et al (2016) observed the same unexpected pattern among men in New York City, where White men, followed by Black men and, finally, Latino men, demonstrated successively decreasing rates of racial homophily. An important methodological caveat to this study is that sexual partners were only considered when they were reported as casual, rather than as main partnerships.…”

“…As shown in Figure 2, racial homophily can relate to how closed a sexual network is and therefore the risk for rapid spread of HIV. Racial homophily occurs across different races and ethnicities of sexual minority men , Grov et al 2016, with some research suggesting that the highest rates of homophily occur among Black men (Newcomb & Mustanski 2013, Raymond & McFarland 2009). Indeed, studies generally show the highest rates of racial homophily among Black/African American sexual minority men, followed by White men, and the lowest rates among Latino men (Sudhinaraset et al 2013).…”

“…An important methodological caveat to this study is that sexual partners were only considered when they were reported as casual, rather than as main partnerships. Furthermore, Grov et al (2016) included men who were HIV positive, a critical characteristic in partner selection and sorting. It is well known that men who have sex with men purposefully select sex partners that they believe are of their same HIV status as an HIV protection and prevention strategy, a practice known as serosorting (Eaton et al 2010).…”