Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2020 Aug;32(4):282-295.
doi: 10.1521/aeap.2020.32.4.282.

Immigrant Generational Differences in Social Support and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Seattle, Washington

Jane Lee  1 , Susan Cassels  2
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Immigrant Generational Differences in Social Support and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Seattle, Washington

Jane Lee et al. AIDS Educ Prev. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Different immigrant generations may encounter distinct sexual opportunities with implications for HIV transmission. Yet, few studies have examined how immigrant generational status is associated with sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM). We explored relationships between immigrant generational status, social support, and sexual risk behaviors among English-speaking MSM using data from surveys conducted in Seattle, Washington, in 2014 (n = 323). We compared the sexual risk behaviors and social support of first-generation, second-generation, and third- and higher-generation MSM, and examined whether immigrant generational status and social support were associated with sexual risk behaviors using logistic regression models. Second-generation MSM reported lower friend social support than first- or third- and higher-generation MSM (p < .05). However, immigrant generational status was not associated with sexual risk behavior outcomes, even after accounting for social support. Results suggest that differences in immigration processes such as acculturation may be more predictive of risk behaviors than generational status alone.

Keywords: HIV risk; immigrant generational status; men who have sex with men; sexual risk behaviors; social support.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Abraído-Lanza AF, Armbrister AN, Flórez KR, & Aguirre AN (2006). Toward a theory-driven model of acculturation in public health research. American Journal of Public Health, 96(8), 1342–1346. 10.2105/AJPH.2005.064980 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Alegria M (2009). The challenge of acculturation measures: What are we missing? A commentary on Thomson & Hoffman-Goetz. Social Science and Medicine, 69(7), 996–998. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.07.006 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Althoff MD, Theall K, Schmidt N, Hembling J, Gebrekristos HT, Thompson MM, … Kissinger P (2017). Social support networks and HIV/STI risk behaviors among Latino immigrants in a new receiving environment. AIDS and Behavior, 21(12), 3607–3617. 10.1007/s10461-017-1849-8 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Amirkhanian YA (2014). Social networks, sexual networks and HIV risk in men who have sex with men. Current HIV/AIDS Reports, 11(1), 81–92. 10.1007/s11904-013-0194-4 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ayala G, Bingham T, Kim J, Wheeler DP, & Millett GA (2012). Modeling the impact of social discrimination and financial hardship on the sexual risk of HIV among Latino and Black men who have sex with men. American Journal of Public Health, 102(S2), S242–S249. 10.2105/ajph.2011.300641 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types