Sexual Behaviors and Risks Among Bisexually- and Gay-Identified Young Latino Men

Abstract

This research compares patterns of sexual behavior and sexual risk of bisexually- and gay-identified Latino young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Four hundred forty-one Latino YMSM were surveyed at community venues in New York City. Twenty-two percent of the sample identified as bisexual, and 78% identified as gay. Bisexually-identified men were more likely to report having had multiple male sex partners in the last 3 months and less likely to report being exclusively involved with a main male partner. They were also approximately 3 1/2 times more likely to report unprotected insertive anal intercourse at last sexual contact with a nonmain male partner and more likely to report being high at last contact with both main and nonmain male partners. Findings suggest that prevention programs need to address the particular sexual risk patterns of bisexually-identified Latino YMSM that place them at risk of both HIV infection and transmission.

Resilience among young men who have sex with men in New York City

“…Although youth who identify as bisexual have received less attention in the literature than gay-identified individuals, these findings suggest that they may be similar to heterosexual YMSM in some respects. Further, our findings are consistent with other research studies that have found bisexuals to be at heightened risk for sexual risk behavior and adverse outcomes, including participation in sex work (Agronick et al, 2004;Logan & Leukefeld, 2000; National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2000). We expect that factors other than participation in sex work are involved in lower rates of resilience in these two important subpopulations, and future research on these groups is warranted.…”

“…& Stueve, 2002;Thiede et al, 2003;Valleroy et al, 2000). Among YMSM, those who do not identify as gay or homosexual and those who consider themselves transgender appear to be at greatest jeopardy for adverse outcomes (Agronick et al, 2004;Cooper, 1999;Hughes & Eliason, 2002). Overall, YMSM are a hidden and hard-to-reach population, mainly because of stigma and often because of their involvement in illegal activities (MacKellar, Valleroy, Karon, Lemp, & Janssen, 1996;Muhib et al, 2001).…”

Latina Lesbian Students: Understanding their Experiences and Perceived Sexual Identity Development at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

“…Given the rapid growth of the Latino population in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011;Ennis et al, 2011) the marginalization experienced by Latina lesbians, and the pervasive homophobic and heterosexist climate within Latino communities (Agronick et al, 2004;Green, 1994;Ryan et al, 2009;Encarnacioń, 2011), this study provides critical insights for best practices in higher education.…”

“…Additionally, a collective Latino value and constraint concerning the makeup of the family unit (that it consists of one man, one woman, and children), coupled with religious views that homosexuality is wrong, situates Latina lesbians as a marginalized and oppressed group (Agronick et al, 2004;Sandfort, Melendez, & Diaz, 2013;Chaturvedi, 2014).…”

“…Within the Latino community, the family is considered to be the most important unit of society. The values placed on the family unit, which is framed with the heteronormative binary model, consists of one man, one woman and children, and oppress sexual minorities who are marginalized group (Agronick et al 2004;Morales, Corbin-Gutierrez, & Wang, 2013;Ryan et al, 2009). …”