Abstract
Objective: There continues to be a large disparity in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men (MSM) compared to all other populations. Recent research suggests discriminatory laws may play a role in the health outcomes of the LGBT community. We hypothesized that discriminatory state-level relationship recognition, employment, and housing policies would predict a higher proportion of MSM among the population living with AIDS than heterosexuals while controlling for state-level healthcare quality and political orientation. Method: Data for the proportion of AIDS cases comprised of MSM and heterosexuals were collected for 2008 for each state from CDC 2010 State Surveillance Reports. Additionally, relationship recognition, housing discrimination, and employment discrimination laws were collected from 2008 for each state. Covariates included the political orientation of each state based on the 2008 presidential election and a composite measure of overall healthcare quality of each state created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Results: Overall, MSM account for the highest proportion of people living with AIDS in the US. Hierarchical regressions indicated that MSM accounted for a higher proportion of people living with AIDS in states with discriminatory relationship recognition policies. Housing discrimination policies, employment discrimination policies, healthcare quality, and political orientation were not associated with the proportion of MSM or heterosexuals that comprise the total population of people living with AIDS in each state. Conclusion: Findings suggest relationship recognitions are a unique protective factor against HIV/AIDS for MSM. Future research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms by which relationship recognitions serve as a protective factor from HIV/AIDS for MSM.
Highlights
Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to have the highest HIV and AIDS rates of any other group [1,2]
Hierarchical regressions indicated that men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for a higher proportion of people living with AIDS in states with discriminatory relationship recognition policies
Employment discrimination policies, healthcare quality, and political orientation were not associated with the proportion of MSM or heterosexuals that comprise the total population of people living with AIDS in each state
Summary
Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to have the highest HIV and AIDS rates of any other group [1,2]. Approximately 56% of all HIV-infected individuals in the US are MSM as of 2010. While the effect of individual level discrimination Experience of violence, stigma, and homophobia) on risky health behaviors associated with HIV-infection is wellknown, less is known about the effects public policies may have on the prevalence of risky health behaviors on a population level [3,4,5,6]. Recent research suggests public policy is a unique factor when assessing health among the LGBT community [7,8,9]. While there is evidence that public policy has an effect on the health of LGBT individuals, it is unclear whether LGBT specific public policy affects HIV and AIDS rates among MSM
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
