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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Susan D. Cochran, PhD, MS, Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, 3102069310, cochran@ucla.edu and Vickie M. Mays, PhD, MSPH, Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563.

Objectives. Except for concerns about excess morbidity and mortality directly linked to HIV and other STDs, little is known about the general health status of gay and bisexual men. Methods. We use data from the California Quality of Life Survey (Cal-QOL), a follow-back population-based study of nearly 2300 adults (including approximately 1,100 men). initially interviewed in the 2003 California Health Interview Survey. In the subsequent Cal-QOL, which oversampled for minority sexual orientation, respondents reported on their physical health status, common health conditions, health disability, and levels of psychological distress. Results. Prevalent HIV infection was reported by nearly 18% of sexual minority men, who also evidenced higher levels of psychological distress as compared to exclusively heterosexual men. While no sexual orientation-related differences in self-ratings of overall health were observed, both gay-identified and homosexually experienced heterosexual men, but not bisexually identified men, more frequently reported a variety of health-related conditions. Adjusting for psychological distress differences had little impact on the health disparities observed. However, sexual orientation-related disparities attenuated when analyses were restricted to men who denied a prevalent HIV infection. Conclusions. Findings suggest that sexual orientation has only modest associations with physical health status among men. The differences that do exist appear to reflect the ongoing burden of HIV and other sexual transmitted diseases. This underscores the need to further refine models of health care for sexual minority men to more strongly emphasize the sexual health concerns of homosexually active men.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe common physical health conditions reported by sexual minority men
• Recognize the contributions of prevalent HIV infection to sexual orientation-linked health disparities

Keywords: Gay, Bisexual

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered