The Southeastern United States has the fastest growing Latino population in the country and at the same time carries a disproportionate HIV/AIDS disease burden. We propose a 2-year exploratory study (R21) to understand and characterize social and sexual networking patterns and socio-cultural and psychological correlates of sexual risk within a population about which little is currently known: newly-arrived, less-acculturated Latino gay men and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) living in the rural Southeast. The AIDS case rate for Latino men is over 3 times that for non-Latino white men. The most common means of HIV transmission among Latinos is through same-sex sexual behavior. Among Latino gay men and Latino MSM in North Carolina, condom use rates are considerably lower than rates reported in other parts of the US. In a sample of MSM recruited in 3 bars in central NC, 69% of Spanish-preferring Latino MSM who reported having anal intercourse within the past 3 months reported inconsistent condom use with non-steady male partners. We also found that 32% reported having sex with both men and women within the past 3 months, and none of the men reported having ever been tested for HIV. Little is known about these men's social and sexual networking patterns and risk behaviors. This study will generate scientific knowledge and understanding needed to characterize risk and help identify potentially effective intervention approaches and strategies to reduce HIV exposure and transmission within this population. We will use 3 modes of data collection: (a) 30 rural Latino gay men and Latino MSM will complete iterative in-depth interviews (each respondent will be interviewed 3 times) to gain """"""""insider"""""""" perspectives on HIV risk and prevention; (b) 16 local Latino-service and health providers will complete one-time in-depth interviews to gain """"""""outsider"""""""" perspectives on HIV risk and prevention; and (c) 211 rural Latino gay men and Latino MSM will complete an interviewer- administered assessment to be developed based on formative interview data, through respondent-driven sampling (RDS). RDS is an innovative statistical approach to sampling to provide unbiased population estimates when a predetermined sampling frame is unknown. The proposed study will advance the field of HIV prevention research by generating in-depth knowledge necessary to develop culturally-appropriate models to better explain condom use within vulnerable communities: recently arrived, less-acculturated Latino gay men and Latino MSM who live in the rural Southeast. Study findings also will help shape new multilevel intervention approaches and strategies to reduce the disproportionate HIV/AIDS disease burden of Latino men. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21HD049282-02
Application #
7282700
Study Section
Behavioral and Social Science Approaches to Preventing HIV/AIDS Study Section (BSPH)
Program Officer
Newcomer, Susan
Project Start
2006-08-10
Project End
2009-07-31
Budget Start
2007-08-01
Budget End
2009-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$150,288
Indirect Cost
Name
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
937727907
City
Winston-Salem
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27157
Rhodes, Scott D; Tanner, Amanda E; Mann-Jackson, Lilli et al. (2018) Community-Engaged Research as an Approach to Expedite Advances in HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment: A Call to Action. AIDS Educ Prev 30:243-253
Rhodes, Scott D; Alonzo, Jorge; Mann-Jackson, Lilli et al. (2018) Selling the product: Strategies to increase recruitment and retention of Spanish-speaking Latinos in biomedical research. J Clin Transl Sci 2:147-155
Rhodes, Scott D; McCoy, Thomas P (2015) Condom use among immigrant Latino sexual minorities: multilevel analysis after respondent-driven sampling. AIDS Educ Prev 27:27-43
Gilbert, Paul A; Rhodes, Scott D (2014) Immigrant sexual minority Latino men in rural North Carolina: an exploration of social context, social behaviors, and sexual outcomes. J Homosex 61:1131-51
Gilbert, Paul A; Perreira, Krista; Eng, Eugenia et al. (2014) Social stressors and alcohol use among immigrant sexual and gender minority Latinos in a nontraditional settlement state. Subst Use Misuse 49:1365-75
Rhodes, Scott D; Martinez, Omar; Song, Eun-Young et al. (2013) Depressive symptoms among immigrant Latino sexual minorities. Am J Health Behav 37:404-13
Rhodes, Scott D; Daniel, Jason; Alonzo, Jorge et al. (2013) A systematic community-based participatory approach to refining an evidence-based community-level intervention: the HOLA intervention for Latino men who have sex with men. Health Promot Pract 14:607-16
Gilbert, Paul A; Rhodes, Scott D (2013) HIV testing among immigrant sexual and gender minority Latinos in a US region with little historical Latino presence. AIDS Patient Care STDS 27:628-36
Rhodes, Scott D; Duck, Stacy; Alonzo, Jorge et al. (2013) Using community-based participatory research to prevent HIV disparities: assumptions and opportunities identified by the Latino partnership. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 63 Suppl 1:S32-5
Rhodes, Scott D; Daniel, Jason; Alonzo, Jorge et al. (2012) A snapshot of how latino heterosexual men promote sexual health within their social networks: process evaluation findings from an efficacious community-level intervention. AIDS Educ Prev 24:514-26

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