Correlates of Sexual Risk for HIV Among US-Born and Foreign-Born Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM): An Analysis from the Brothers y Hermanos Study

Little research has been conducted to examine whether correlates of sexual risk vary by nativity among Latino men who have sex with men (MSM). We used cross sectional data collected from 870 Latino MSM recruited with respondent-driven sampling techniques. For each sub-sample (US-born and foreign-born), we assessed the association between each of the potential correlates (substance use, acculturation, social support, and social discrimination) and sexual risk behavior. Illicit drug use was associated with increased odds of sexual risk behavior in both US-born (OR = 2.17, 95 % CI 1.17-4.03) and foreign-born (OR = 1.86, 1.14-3.05) subgroups. Multivariate correlates specific to foreign-born men included binge drinking (OR = 1.91, 1.17-3.14), 15 years or longer spent in the US (OR = 1.79, 1.06-3.03) and exposure to social discrimination (OR = 2.02, 1.03-3.99). Given the diversity of Latino MSM, information from research that identifies both common and different HIV risk factors across subgroups of Latino MSM may help better tailor HIV prevention programs.