Migration-related health risks and adverse aspects of social capital among MSM in South Florida's sex-drug scene

Aims: To examine the effects of migration to a new urban area on health and social outcomes of MSM. Data are drawn from baseline assessments of MSM ages 18-55 (N=517). Methods: Computer-assisted personal interviews included well-tested, comprehensive measures of substance use, sexual behaviors and social environment. Eligible MSM reported drug/alcohol use and unprotected anal sex with a non-monogamous partner in the past 90 days. The sample was classified by migration recency: 1) those who recently (in the previous 12 months) moved to South Florida (N=66), those who migrated 13-60 months prior (N=79), and those who resided in South Florida for more than 5 years (N=372). Mean measures of health risks and aspects of social capital were compared across groups using unpaired two-sample t-tests. Results: Recent migrants reported significantly lower levels of stimulant drug use (p=.043), unprotected sex risk (p=.023), and HIV infection (p=.002), but higher levels of income (p=.002) and satisfaction with and utilization of social support (p=.04) than MSM who lived in South Florida for longer periods of time. Conclusions: Recent migrants to South Florida reported lower levels of health risks and greater positive aspects of social capital than MSM who lived there for more than 12 months. Data suggest that MSM who migrate to South Florida quickly embrace the area's sex-drug scene, and are vulnerable to heightened heath risks and adverse changes in aspects of social capital. Limitations of the cross-sectional design, as well as implications for further research and intervention, are discussed.