Citation

Phillips G, Hightow-Weidman LB, Fields SD, Giordano TP, Outlaw AY, Halpern-Felsher B, Wohl AR. AIDS Care 2014; 26(7): 827-834.

Affiliation

a Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics , The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services , Washington , DC , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/09540121.2013.861571

PMID

24274141

Abstract

Adolescents and young adults (ages 13-24) in the USA are frequently exposed to violence in their community and home. While studies have examined the prevalence and impact of violence exposure among adolescents, there is a lack of data focusing specifically on adolescent men of color who have sex with men. Eight demonstration sites funded through a Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Initiative recruited 363 HIV-positive racial/ethnic minority young men who have sex with men (YMSM) for a longitudinal study between 2006 and 2009. Over two-thirds of participants (83.8%) had witnessed community violence, 55.1% in the prior three months. Witnessing violence committed with a deadly weapon was significantly associated with being African-American, having ever used drugs, and drinking alcohol in the prior two weeks. Fear of violence in the community was significantly associated with depressive symptomatology, having less than a high school degree, not possessing health insurance, and site of enrollment. Having been emotionally or physically abused by a parent or caretaker was significantly associated with depressive symptomatology, attempting suicide, site of enrollment, and increased age. Witnessing violence with a deadly weapon was significantly associated with alcohol and drug use but not with high-risk sexual behaviors. As this was one of the first studies on the prevalence and correlates of violence exposure among racial/ethnic minority YMSM living with HIV, the findings can be used to inform the development of culturally appropriate resilience-focused interventions to address the aftereffects of violence exposures and help develop social support systems outside of the family.

Language: en