Biomaterial Database

Victimization, substance use, and HIV risk behaviors among gay/bisexual/two-spirit and heterosexual American Indian Men in New York City. 2006

Jane M Simoni, and Karina L Walters, and Kimberly F Balsam, and Seth B Meyers

Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. jsimoni@u.washington.edu

OBJECTIVE secondary aims included describing condom-use attitudes, beliefs about HIV/AIDS in the Indian community, HIV knowledge, HIV status, and preference for and access to HIV prevention services in this population. METHODS A survey was mailed to all members of an American Indian community organization in New York City. RESULTS The 20 men self-identifying as gay, two-spirit, or bisexual (hereafter, "two-spirit") were more likely to report being victimized and engaging in HIV risk behaviors than the 51 heterosexual respondents, although they reported comparable levels of recent substance use. Overall, victimization was associated with lifetime HIV risk behaviors (even after control for sexual orientation) but not with substance use or unsafe sex in the past 12 months. The percentage of HIV infection was surprisingly high (10% of two-spirit men and 6% of heterosexual men). CONCLUSIONS Two-spirit men are a vulnerable population whose victimization must be understood within an appropriate historical and political context.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007198	Indians, North American	Members of indigenous North American populations with pre-colonial contact origins.	Amerinds, North American,Indigenous North Americans,American Indian, North,American, Indigenous North,Amerind, North American,Indian, North American,Indigenous North American,North American Amerind,North American Amerinds,North American Indian,North American Indians,North American, Indigenous
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009519	New York City	City located at the mouth of the Hudson River, in New York State.
D001727	Bisexuality	The sexual attraction or relationship between members of both the same and the opposite SEX.
D006306	Health Surveys	A systematic collection of factual data pertaining to health and disease in a human population within a given geographic area.	Abortion Surveys,Abortion Survey,Health Survey,Survey, Abortion,Survey, Health,Surveys, Abortion,Surveys, Health
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D012309	Risk-Taking	Undertaking a task involving a challenge for achievement or a desirable goal in which there is a lack of certainty or a fear of failure. It may also include the exhibiting of certain behaviors whose outcomes may present a risk to the individual or to those associated with him or her.	Risk Behavior,Behavior, Risk,Behaviors, Risk,Risk Behaviors,Risk Taking