Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110172

Héctor Carrillo, DrPH, Jaweer Brown, MPH, Jorge Fontdevila, PhD, and Stephen Scott, MSHSA. Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, Trayectos Study, 4094 Fourth Avenue, Suite 202, San Diego, CA 92103, 619.220.7979, jbrown@sdtrayectos.org

Problem Statement: Mexican immigrants are often assumed to have higher HIV risk than their U.S.-born counterparts. In a previous study involving a large probability sample collected by Dr. Rafael Díaz and his team, we found the opposite to be true: recent Latino gay immigrants had lower HIV risk than U.S.-born Latino gay men. Furthermore, HIV risk was higher among immigrant men who had lived in the U.S. for 11 or more years. These findings are consistent with the so-called “Hispanic health paradox.” In our current research, we are investigating, among other issues, the reasons for such differences.

Methods: Ethnographic participant observation and in-depth interviews with 150 gay and bisexual men, including Mexican immigrants, U.S.-born Latinos, and sexual and romantic partners of Mexican immigrants. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using QSR N6.0, a software package for qualitative analysis.

Results: Not all gay-identified immigrant men have the same access to social and cultural contexts in urban gay communities. In particular, we found that certain paths of migration and forms of incorporation into mainstream gay communities may lead to particular forms of sexual HIV risk. In this presentation, we will examine the specific contextual factors that generate HIV risk among U.S.-born Latino and immigrant Mexican gay men.

Conclusions: Paying attention to contextual factors, and to differences in the migration paths and forms of incorporation into urban gay communities, may prove to be an important tool to develop more targeted HIV prevention efforts for Latino gay and bisexual populations.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Describe the role of acculturation and the Hispanic health paradox in the creation of HIV risk among US-born and immigrant Latino men, particularly those of Mexican origin.
• Articulate how to better account for contextual and cultural factors in the design of HIV educational interventions targeting specific subgroups of Latino gay and bisexual men.

Keywords: Sexual Risk Behavior, Immigrants

Related Web page: www.sdtrayectos.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation