title: Racial/Ethnic Difference in HIV-related Knowledge among Young Men who have Sex with Men and their Association with Condom Errors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  HIV disproportionately affects young men who have sex with men, and knowledge about HIV transmission is one factor that may play a role in high rate of infections for this population. This study examined racial/ethnic differences in HIV knowledge among young men who have sex with men in the USA and its correlation to condom usage errors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included an ethnically diverse sample of 344 young men who have sex with men screened from an ongoing longitudinal cohort study. Eligible participants were between the ages of 16 and 20 years, born male, and had previously had at least one sexual encounter with a man and/or identify as gay or bisexual. This analysis is based on cross-sectional data collected at the baseline interview using computer assisted self-interviewing (CASI) software.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chicago, IL, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We utilised descriptive and inferential statistics, including ANOVA and Tukey's Post hoc analysis to assess differences in HIV knowledge by level of education and race/ethnicity, and negative binomial regression to determine if HIV knowledge was associated with condom errors while controlling for age, education and race/ethnicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study found that Black men who have sex with men scored significantly lower (average score=67%; p<.05) than their White counterparts (average score=83%) on a measure of HIV knowledge (mean difference=16.1%, p<.001). Participants with less than a high school diploma and those with a high school diploma/GED only had lower knowledge scores, on average (66.4%, 69.9%, respectively) than participants who had obtained post-high school education (78.1%; mean difference=11.7%, 8.2% respectively, ps<.05). In addition, controlling for age, race and level of education, higher HIV knowledge scores were associated with fewer condom errors (ExpB=.995, CI 0.992-0.999, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings stress the need to for increased attention to HIV transmission-related educational activities targeting the social realities and unique risk mechanisms of young men who have sex with men.
authors: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Garofalo
authors: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Travis
authors: T
authors: Gayles
authors: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Paul Devine
authors: PD
authors: Bottone
authors: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Ryan
authors: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Lisa M
authors: LM
authors: Kuhns
authors: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Mustanski
keywords: HIV knowledge; HIV prevention; Racial/ethnic studies; USA; condom errors; young men who have sex with men