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

Abstract

<div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S1"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d6804034e173">Purpose</h5> <p id="P2">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. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S2"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d6804034e178">Methods</h5> <p id="P3">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. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S3"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d6804034e183">Results</h5> <p id="P4">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. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S4"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d6804034e188">Conclusions</h5> <p id="P5">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. </p> </div>