This proposal is responsive to the need to furtherunderstandsocialrolesamongAsianAmericanand Pacific Islander(AAPI) menwhohave sexwithmen (MSM) inthe U.S. The socialconstructionof sexualityinAAPI culturesdoes notestablishl:hesame dichotomybetweenheterosexualor homosexualorientationas European-Americanculture. Thus,AAPI MSM may or may notidentifyas gay, and mayor may notperceive a connectionbetweentheir sexualbehaviorandtheirsocialroleor sexualorientation.The extentto which socialrolesor perceivedse;(ualorientationare relatedtostigma,shame,and lossof face amongAAPI MSM, andwhethertheseare inturnrelatedto HIV-relatedriskattitudesand practicesis unclear. Moreover, whetherthe stigma,shame,and lossof face of havingsexwithmen inturninfluenceuse of alcohol, tobacco,and otherdrugs(ATOD) needstobe explored. As doestherelationbetween ATOD use/abuseand higherriskfor HIV in thispopulation.Thisresearchis ofgreatsignificancebecause,comparedtoMSM in otherracial/ethnicgroups,,_,PI MSM have thesecondhighestproportionof cumulativeAIDS cases (72%) - - onlytwo percentagepointslowerthan whiteMSM. ProportionatelyA, API MSM (53%) ranksecondin numberof AIDS cases inYear 2000, againafter whiteMSM (62%) (Centerfor DiseaseControland Prevention,2001). The GWU SPHHS CHSRP, togetherwiththeAsian& PacificIslanderPartnershipfor Health,Washington,DC, therefore,proposesa five-year,two-phase, mixedapproach(qualitativeand quantitative)studyto: 1. Examinesocio-culturaflorces suchas sexualmores,shame,or stigmathat playa rolein sexualidentity and orientationamonga cohortof self-identifiedChinese,Filipino,and Vietnamesegay/bisexualmen and MSM ages 18 andabovelivinginthe metropolitanWashington,DC area. 2. Examinethe relationshipbetweenshame(orstigma)and homosexualityand bisexualityinHIV-related riskattitudesand practicesamongthecohortof men. 3. Examinethe relationshipbetweenshame(orstigma)andhomosexualityand bisexualityinATOD use/abuseamongthe cohortof men. BasedonWongand Edberg's(2001) three-domain,conceptual(i.e., homecountrybackground,migration/ immigrationexperience/historya, nd U.S. experience/situationm) odeland methodologicadl esign,thethree (3) SpecificAimswillbe examinedby seven(7) researchquestionsagainsta selectedset of variables.