Incarceration as a Health Determinant for Sexual Orientation and Gender Minority Persons.

Incarceration is considerably more prevalent among sexual and gender minority persons (SGM) than among the general population. Once behind bars, they are at the greatest risk for health-related harms. Although a growing number of studies have assessed health disparities produced by mass incarceration, scholars are yet to systematically assess the health consequences of incarceration on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Moral Panic and Social Justice: A Guide for Analyzing Social Problems.

Professional social work has long been concerned with social justice, social policy, and the relationship between social treatment and social control. However, at times, potential threats to social cohesion become exaggerated in the service of supporting suppressive policies. British sociologist Stanley Cohen referred to such periods as moral panics, which assign unwarranted blame and stigma to sociopolitically weaker, unpopular groups.

"You just can't trust everybody": the impact of sexual risk, partner type and perceived partner trustworthiness on HIV-status disclosure decisions among HIV-positive black gay and bisexual men.

HIV remains an intractable public health concern in the USA, with infection rates notably concentrated among Black gay and bisexual men. Status disclosure by HIV-positive individuals can be an important aspect of risk reduction but doing so poses dilemmas concerning privacy, stigma and self-protection, especially among populations subjected to multiple types of stigmatisation. Understanding the factors related to the disclosure process can help to inform prevention efforts.

"Knowing Your Status and Knowing Your Partner's Status Is Really Where It Starts": A Qualitative Exploration of the Process by Which a Sexual Partner's HIV Status Can Influence Sexual Decision Making.

Gay and bisexual men are at disproportionate risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. While prevention efforts often emphasize consistent condom use, there is growing evidence that men are using seroadaptive safer-sex strategies, such as serosorting and seropositioning. This qualitative analysis of 204 HIV-negative and HIV-positive gay and bisexual men explored the ways that a sexual partner's HIV status can influence safer-sex strategies and sexual decisions.

"I Had to Go to the Streets to Get Love": Pathways From Parental Rejection to HIV Risk Among Young Gay and Bisexual Men.

Young, gay, and bisexual men (YGBM) are at increased risk of family rejection, which is related to HIV infection. What remains unknown is how family rejection leads to HIV risk. In this exploratory study, qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 HIV-positive YGBM aged 18 to 24.

"You're an open target to be abused": a qualitative study of stigma and HIV self-disclosure among Black men who have sex with men.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a health crisis among Black men who have sex with men (MSM). HIV-related stigma presents a primary barrier to sexual communication and effective HIV prevention. Using in-depth, qualitative interviews conducted with 20 HIV-positive Black MSM between 2007 and 2008 in Chicago, Illinois, we explored the themes related to HIV-related stigma and the underlying messages HIV-positive Black MSM receive regarding their status.

"It's crazy being a Black, gay youth." Getting information about HIV prevention: a pilot study.

Background: Access and adoption of HIV prevention information are important criteria for reducing HIV infection rates among men who have sex with men.

Methods: Using focus group data, researchers sought to identify sources of HIV prevention information and barriers to adopting protective behaviors among young African American men who have sex with men. Adolescents ages 18-24 were recruited for this study.

The impact of role models on health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.

Purpose: There is little research on the impact of role models on health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. This exploratory study describes the presence and availability of LGBT-affirming role models, and examines the relationship between the accessibility of role models and health outcomes among a community-based sample of LGBT youth.

Methods: A convenience sample of 496 ethnically diverse, 16-24-year-old LGBT youth was recruited to complete a computer-assisted interview, using standardized instruments validated with adolescents.

Ethnic differences in HIV-disclosure and sexual risk.

Little is known about ethnic differences in HIV-disclosure to sexual partners or the relationship between HIV-disclosure and sexual risk. Differences in HIV-disclosure rates between African-American and White men who have sex with men (MSM) were analyzed using data from the Treatment Advocacy Program. In general, the findings suggest that African-Americans are less likely than Whites to disclose their HIV status to sexual partners.

African American adolescents living and coping with community violence on Chicago's southside.

This study explores community violence exposures among African American adolescents and whether coping strategies were gendered. In-depth interviews are conducted with a sample of 32 African American high school students. Data are analyzed using a thematic analysis.

A conceptual model of HIV disclosure in casual sexual encounters among men who have sex with men.

HIV/AIDS continues to disproportionately impact men who have sex with men (MSM). Advances in highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) have successfully helped HIV-infected individuals lead longer, healthier, and presumably more sexually active lives. Consequently, secondary prevention approaches aimed at reducing the rate of HIV transmission have raised important questions about the role of sexual communication, namely HIV disclosure, as a primary target for intervention.

What African American male adolescents are telling us about HIV infection among their peers: cultural approaches for HIV prevention.

This study explored the beliefs of African American male adolescents concerning the high rates of HIV infection among their peers and their reasons for those beliefs. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of 16 male African Americans, and a thematic analysis of the data was conducted. Half of the participants believed that peers were not becoming infected at higher rates than white youths and reported high rates of sexual risk taking.