Disclosure of HIV Status by Gay & Bisexual Latino Men
The aim of this four-year research program is to refine and test a theoretical model of disclosure of HIV status among Latino gay and bisexual men developed by the investigative team. The model examines antecedents and consequences of disclosure of seropositive status.
Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH60545)
Study Goals
- To determine if sociocultural factors influence psychosocial factors which, along with HIV-related factors, influence degree of disclosure to the social network (family, friends, and sexual partners) and
- To determine if disclosure of seropositive status to the social network is related to greater psychological well-being, which in turn decreases sexual risk, and promotes adherence to care.
In this study, A-CASI techniques were used to collect pilot data on 155 HIV-positive, self-identified gay or bisexual Latino men from New York City and Washington, D.C. The pilot data were used to refine new measures specifically developed for the study. In this sample, 88 percent of the participants reported they had revealed their status to their closest friends, 82 percent to their main partner, 34 percent to their mother, and 28 percent to their father. In the main part of the study, we collected data on 315 HIV-positive Latino (Spanish and English-speaking) and 76 HIV-positive Brazilian (predominantly Portuguese-speaking) gay and bisexual men in New York City and Washington, D.C.