title: Marijuana Use as a Sex-Drug is Associated with HIV Risk Among Black MSM and Their Network.
abstract: Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) are highest risk for HIV seroconversion in the United States. Little attention has been paid to marijuana use among BMSM and potential for HIV risk. A sample of 202 BMSM was generated through respondent driven sampling. The relationship between differential marijuana use and both HIV risk behavior and social network factors were examined using weighted logistic regression. Of the BMSM in this sample 60.4 % use marijuana in general and 20.8 % use marijuana as sex-drug. General marijuana use was significantly associated with participation in group sex (AOR 3.50; 95 % CI 1.10-11.10) while marijuana use as a sex drug was significantly associated with both participation in condomless sex (AOR 2.86; 95% CI 1.07-7.67) and group sex (AOR 3.39; 95% CI 1.03-11.22). Respondents with a moderate or high perception of network members who use marijuana were more likely to use marijuana both in general and as a sex-drug. Network member marijuana use, while not associated with risk behaviors, is associated with individual marijuana use and individual marijuana use in the context of sex is associated with risk practices. Targeting interventions towards individuals and their respective networks that use marijuana as a sex drug may reduce HIV risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Britt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Skaathun
authors.affiliation: NORC at the University of Chicago, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michaels
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.affiliation: National Development and Research Institutes, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Billy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pitrak
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. jschnei1@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu.|NORC at the University of Chicago, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. jschnei1@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu.|Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA. jschnei1@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044383:Black People; D002641:Chicago / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D060756:Social Networking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: BMSM; HIV; Marijuana; Networks; RDS