Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Frederick Schulze

Abstract

HIV incidence among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) is extremely high in contrast to their estimated population size and compared to other racial groups. Researchers have established that a significant proportion of these new cases annually originate from HIV transmission by BMSM who are unaware of their HIV status. The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between age, sexual behavior, social support, substance use, internalized homophobia, depression, and HIV test history in BMSM. Guided by the social ecological model (SEM) as the conceptual framework, a quantitative cross-sectional study was designed to analyze secondary data from the HIV Prevention Trials Network Study 061. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the association. The research goal was to identify strategies to engage BMSM with infrequent/nonexistent HIV testing history into testing services. While there was very little difference between the bivariate and multivariate models, the results indicated that BMSM who were younger in age, had lower levels of internalized homophobia, and were recruited at a particular study site were more likely to have tested for HIV in the past 12 months. The other variables did not show a significant relationship to HIV testing history. Implications for positive social change included informing HIV prevention and testing messages and strategies that will result in an increase in HIV testing among BMSM with infrequent/nonexistent HIV testing histories. This increase in HIV testing among BMSM with infrequent/nonexistent HIV testing histories will reduce the number of BMSM who are unaware of their HIV status and who may subsequently transmit HIV to their sexual partners unknowingly.

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