title: Childhood Exposure to Religions With High Prevalence of Members Who Discourage Homosexuality Is Associated With Adult HIV Risk Behaviors and HIV Infection in Black Men Who Have Sex With Men.
abstract: Exposure to childhood religious affiliations where the majority of members discourage homosexuality may have negative psychological impacts for Black men who have sex with men. This study tested the hypothesis that exposures to these environments during childhood were associated with adulthood human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infection (STI) behavioral risk and HIV infection, because these exposures influenced HIV/STI risk by undermining race/sexual identity congruence and increasing internalized homophobia and interpersonal anxiety. Structural equation modeling as well as logistic and Poisson regressions were performed using baseline data from HIV Prevention Trials Network 061 ( N = 1,553). Childhood religion affiliations that were more discouraging of homosexuality were associated with increased likelihood of HIV infection; however, the association was no longer significant after adjusting for age, income, and education. Having a childhood religion affiliation with high prevalence of beliefs discouraging homosexuality was associated with increased numbers of sexual partners (adjusted odds ratio = 4.31; 95% confidence interval [3.76, 4.94], p < .01). The hypothesized path model was largely supported and accounted for 37% of the variance in HIV infection; however, interpersonal anxiety was not associated with HIV/STI risk behaviors. Structural interventions are needed that focus on developing affirming theologies in religious institutions with Black men who have sex with men congregants.
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: LaRon E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: 2 State University of New York at Binghamton, NY, USA.|3 University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wilton
authors.affiliation: 4 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Nanhua
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 5 University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.|6 Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Rotrease
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Regan
authors.affiliation: 7 University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Chia T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Thach
authors.affiliation: 8 University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Typhanye V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.affiliation: 9 University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sameer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kushwaha
authors.affiliation: 10 Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Rev Edwin C
authors.initials: REC
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.|11 Chiekh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ndoye
authors.affiliation: 12 The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA.|13 Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Mayer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D003710:Demography; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: gender issues and sexual orientation; homophobia; homosexuality; men’s studies; risk behaviors