Experience of bias-motivated bullying and psychosocial problems: Correlates of HIV risk behaviors in emerging and young adult men who have sex with men

Background: Young men who have sex with men are highly vulnerable to bias-motivated bullying and concurrently present the most drastic increase in new HIV infections among all groups in the United States. Our study assessed whether experience of bias-motivated bullying was associated with behaviors that increase risk of HIV infection among emerging and young adult men who have sex with men (MSM aged 18-29). Methods: We utilized an Internet-based direct marketing approach to recruit a sample of 545 emerging and young adult MSM from across all 50 U.S. states to complete online questionnaires for the study. Multiple linear regression controlled for sociodemographics while testing the relationship between experience of bias-motivated bullying and engaging in HIV risk behaviors in the past 12 months. Analyses also tested psychosocial problems (depression, low self-esteem, and internalized homonegativity) for moderator effects on this relationship. Results: Experience of bullying during high school was predictive of unprotected anal intercourse, while bullying after high school was predictive of engaging in anal intercourse while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Lifetime harassment was associated with our composite measure of HIV risk behavior. None of the psychosocial problems examined in the study moderated any associations between experience of bias-motivated bullying and HIV risk behaviors. Conclusions: These findings present novel evidence that HIV risk behaviors are among the long-term consequences of bullying experience among emerging and young adult MSM, thus providing rationale for including anti-bullying and harassment policies as part of comprehensive approaches to HIV prevention in this population.