HIV Risk and Perceptions of Masculinity Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men

In the United States, the highest rates of HIV infection are seen among young black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). While their reported rates of unprotected anal intercourse are similar to the rates reported by MSM of other racial/ethnic backgrounds, YBMSM ages 15-22 are five times more likely to be HIV-positive than white MSM of comparable ages.

In the current study, the researchers explored contextual social-environmental factors that might influence how YBMSM assess risk, choose partners, and make decisions related to condom use. The team analyzed semistructured interviews with 35 YBMSM (ages 18-24) in New York City, upstate New York, and Atlanta, using structured analytic coding based on a theoretical scheme that emerged from the data.

The perception of masculinity was found to be the primary contextual factor influencing partner selection, risk assessment, and condom-use decision-making. The authors noted four primary themes:

*greater preference for partners perceived as masculine;

*discomfort with permitting men perceived as feminine to be the insertive partner in anal intercourse;

*a power dynamic such that partners perceived as more masculine made the condom-use decisions within the dyad; and

*use of the potential partners’ perceived masculinity to assess HIV risk.

“Perceived masculinity may play a significant role in HIV risk for YBMSM and may be an important concept to consider in prevention strategies directed toward this population,” the authors concluded.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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