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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Disclosure of newly diagnosed HIV infection and condom use at first sex after diagnosis: a study of young Black men who have sex with men

Richard A. Crosby A B C D , Leandro Mena C and Trisha Arnold C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, 111 Washington Avenue, Lexington, KY 40506-0003, USA.

B Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, 303 Morrison Hall, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.

C University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216, USA.

D Corresponding author. Email: crosbyr3@gmail.com

Sexual Health 14(4) 325-330 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH16183
Submitted: 6 October 2016  Accepted: 10 February 2017   Published: 20 April 2017

Abstract

Background: The first purpose of the present study was to determine whether young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) disclose their newly diagnosed HIV infection to a male or female partner, and to determine whether this disclosure is related to condom use; the second was to identify correlates of disclosing newly diagnosed HIV infection to male sex partners, including a measure of partner-related barriers to condom use. Methods: A sample of 125 HIV-infected YBMSM (age 15–29 years) provided cross-sectional data used for both study purposes. Recruitment occurred in a mid-size city in the southern US experiencing inordinately high prevalence and incidence rates of HIV among YBMSM. Significance was defined by an α level of <0.05. Results: Eighty-eight YBMSM (70.4%) indicated disclosing their newly diagnosed HIV status to the first male partner they had sex with after being diagnosed. Of these, nine (9.1%) reported that condoms were not used during ensuing sex with that partner. However, of the men not disclosing, 27.0% reported not using condoms for ensuing sex (P = 0.009). Similar findings were observed relative to sex with females (P = 0.057). Regarding the second study purpose, in addition to a protective effect of advancing age, men scoring at or above the median on a measure of partner-related barriers to condom use were 2.4-fold more likely to not disclose compared with men scoring below the median (P = 0.04). Conclusion: For YBMSM, a beneficial counselling objective relative to disclosing newly diagnosed HIV may be to help men resolve perceptions of partner-related barriers to condom use.


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