Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Wen-Hung Kuo

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among cultural/spiritual beliefs, risk behaviors, and disclosure among Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men and women (MSMW). Minority men who have sex with men are disproportionately affected by HIV, in particular MSM who are Hispanic/Latino or African American. Limited research is available on the link between Hispanic/Latino MSMW, their cultural/spiritual beliefs, risk behavior, and disclosure about risk behaviors to friends and family. The data were obtained from the SJS Project, which used survey methods to gather data on participants from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Among the participants in this project, 354 indicated that Hispanic/Latino was their only race/ethnicity, 264 identified as gay (MSM), 23 identified as bisexual (MSMW) and 67 identified as some other sexuality, and thus were not included in the analysis. Chi-square analysis and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. Among the bisexual group, the results showed no relationship between the independent variable, cultural/spiritual beliefs, and the dependent variable, disclosure. Among the gay group, the results showed a moderate relationship on one item of the independent variable, cultural/spiritual belief, and one item of the dependent variable, self-disclosure. Thus there is a relationship between disclosing to friends, family and the neighborhood and feeling supported by family among the gay group. It is expected that these findings will inform public health practitioners who have an interest in creating and implementing HIV prevention programs geared toward the Hispanic/Latino members of the LGBT community and Hispanics/Latinos.

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