title: Disparities Within the Disparity-Determining HIV Risk Factors Among Latino Gay and Bisexual Men Attending a Community-Based Clinic in Los Angeles, CA.
abstract: Latino gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States have a 50% greater incidence of HIV when compared with White MSM. Previous studies have analyzed factors contributing to condomless anal intercourse among Latino MSM, but few studies have followed cohorts of HIV-negative Latino MSM to determine circumstances for HIV infection. Informed by Syndemics theory, we examine behavioral, biological, and contextual factors associated with HIV infection for Latino MSM.
  
  
  
  Risk assessment and HIV testing data were analyzed for all initially HIV negative, Latino MSM (n = 3111) visiting a community-based clinic in Los Angeles, CA from January 2009 to June 2014. Survival analyses were used to determine characteristics of Latino MSM who became HIV positive during the study time frame.
  
  
  
  Similar to previous studies of MSM, self-reported history of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and/or syphilis (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 1.97; CI: 1.28 to 3.04), receptive condomless anal intercourse (aHR: 1.7; CI: 1.16 to 2.49), and methamphetamine use (aHR: 1.99; CI: 1.15 to 3.43) predicted HIV infection. In addition, originating from Central America (aHR: 2.31; CI: 1.41 to 3.79), Latino ethnicity of the last sex partner (aHR: 1.67; CI: 1.16 to 2.39) and experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) (aHR: 1.73; CI: 1.13 to 2.64) were also associated with HIV infection among Latino MSM.
  
  
  
  This is the first study to show independent associations between IPV and HIV infection among Latino MSM. This study shows that psychosocial conditions such as IPV fuel HIV incidence among Latino MSM, and psychosocial interventions should be considered to reduce HIV disparities among Latino MSM.
authors.affiliation: *Los Angeles LGBT Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA;†Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA;‡Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA;§Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies, College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY;‖Department of Population Health, Langone School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY;¶Department of Applied Psychology, Steinhardt School, New York University, New York, NY;#Center for Drug Use and HIV Studies, New York University, New York, NY; and**Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Beymer
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Perry N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Halkitis
authors.forename: Farzana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kapadia
authors.forename: Danielle C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Ompad
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bourque
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Bolan
mesh_terms: D001727:Bisexuality; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors