Interplay of Race and Criminal Justice Involvement on Sexual Behaviors of Young Men Who Have Sex with Men

Abstract

Purpose

Criminal justice involvement is a significant problem in the US, and poses substantial negative immediate and long-term effects— particularly among adolescents and young adults. Research has been mixed on the association between a history of arrest/incarceration and an increased risk for HIV, but there are clear trends in the association between criminal justice involvement and sexual risk behaviors.

Methods

Drawing from a racially/ethnically diverse sample of YMSM, we conducted an investigation into whether there was a temporal relationship between history of criminal justice involvement and engagement in high-risk sexual behaviors. We also examined whether sexual behaviors among Black men who have sex with men (MSM) were more substantially impacted by arrest/incarceration than those of non-Black MSM. Data were collected within a longitudinal study of young MSM in Chicago.

Results

Over one-third of participants (37.8%) reported having ever been in trouble with the police in their lifetime, and 10% had been incarcerated. In multivariable analysis, Black race, history of incarceration, and the interaction were all significantly positively associated with an increase in reported number of male anal sex partners.

Conclusions

We found that the intersection between race and criminal justice involvement plays a major role in sexual behaviors. More research is needed to understand why a history of arrest/incarceration has a much more profound effect on Black MSM than on non-Black MSM.