In 2010, black gay and bisexual men between the ages of 13 and 24 accounted for nearly 4,800 new HIV infections - more than twice as many as either young white or young Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This dangerous “compensatory” mechanism, the researchers say, may contribute to the disproportionately high HIV infection rate seen in this population. Researchers say public health and physician-level interventions need to account for these cultural dynamics and tailor messages and counseling accordingly.įamily and cultural pressures to conform to prescribed masculine behaviors create social isolation and distress that may drive young gay black men to seek approval and acceptance through perilous sexual behaviors, according to research led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.The findings of this study may offer one explanation for the high HIV infection rate in this population.Masculine norms and prescribed social behaviors in the black community create isolation and distress that fuel unhealthy behaviors, including unprotected sex and multiple partners.Young, gay black men have a disproportionately high risk of acquiring HIV.
