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

Abstract #113795

Patrick A. Wilson, PhD, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University School of Medicine, 40 Temple Street, Suite 1B, New Haven, CT 06511, 203-789-7645, patrick.wilson@yale.edu, Rafael M. Diaz, PhD, Cesar E. Chavez Institute, San Francisco State University, 3004 16th Street, suite 301, San Francisco, CA 94103, and Hiro Yoshikawa, PhD, Department of Psychology, New York University, 6 Washington Place, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10003.

Background: Substance use during sex has been posited to be related to sexual risk-taking among Latino men who have sex with men (LMSM), who are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in the U.S. Most studies examining the relationship have been conducted at the person level, do not account for unobserved confounding variables, and do not examine behaviors of sex partners and other potentially important situational factors. This study aimed to describe how substance use and other situational factors predict unprotected and protected anal intercourse (UAI and PAI) among LMSM. Methods: 270 LMSM who reported having both protected and unprotected sex in the previous year completed episode-level measures on last UAI and PAI. Case-control conditional logistic regressions were used to compare episodes. Using this approach, the threat of confounding variables to causal inference was substantially reduced. Results: Univariate analyses revealed that partner substance use, heightened levels of attraction, characteristics of partners (HIV status and relationship status), and condom discussions were each associated with UAI. Self substance use occurring without condom discussions was also linked to UAI. When examined in a multivariate model, partner substance use, heightened levels of attraction, and condom discussions emerged as independently related to UAI. Conclusions: Situational factors play an important role in sexual risk-taking among LMSM. Notably, substance use by a sex partner was associated with risky sex in univariate and multivariate models. This suggests that researchers should place a greater focus on behaviors and characteristics of sex partners in order to comprehensively understand sexual risk-taking among LMSM.

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

• Describe the role of substance use in predicting HIV risk behavior among Latino MSM,
• Identify important situational factors related to sexual risk-taking among Latino MSM,
• Recognize the value in conducting research aimed at describing features of risky sexual situations, as opposed to solely features of risky persons.

Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, Ethnic Minorities

Awards: Excellence in Abstract Submission among New Investigators--Award Winner - Recipient

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.