Table 3.
Health and Contextual Characteristics of 25 Black Young Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women, District of Columbia, 2013–2014
| Characteristic | #/na(%) |
|---|---|
| Substance Use | |
| Ever smoked regularly (≥ 1 cigarette every day for 30 days) | 19/24 (79.2) |
| Any binge drinking in past month (≥ 5 drinks/day) | 15/25 (60.0) |
| Marijuana use, past 3 months | 11/22 (50.0) |
| Poppers use, past 3 months | 3/22 (13.6) |
| Viagra use, past 3 months | 0/24 (0.0) |
| Cocaine use, past 3 months | 1/23 (4.4) |
| Crack use, past 3 months | 0/24 (0.0) |
| Heroin use, past 3 months | 0/24 (0.0) |
| Methamphetamines use, past 3 months | 0/24 (0.0) |
| Social Support | |
| Mother figure is supportive of sexualityb | 16/20 (80.0) |
| Father figure is supportive of sexualityb | 6/13 (46.2) |
| Isolated from familyc | 6/20 (30.0) |
| Isolated from friendsc | 6/22 (27.3) |
| School-Based Sex Education and Support | |
| Attended in middle school | 18/23 (78.3) |
| Attended in high school | 18/24 (75.0) |
| High school-based LGBT group | 10/23 (43.5) |
| Internalized Homophobia | |
| Summary score, median [interquartile range]d | 37 [32–43] |
| Would not change sexual orientation (strongly agree) | 15/25 (60.0) |
| Comfortable being a homosexual male (strongly agree) | 12/25 (48.0) |
| Homosexuality is as natural as heterosexuality (strongly agree) | 13/25 (52.0) |
| Feel comfortable in gay venues (strongly agree) | 13/25 (52.0) |
| Uncomfortable in social situations with gay men (strongly agree) | 6/25 (24.0) |
| Comfortable discussing homosexuality in public (strongly agree) | 11/25 (44.0) |
| Comfortable being seen with gay person (strongly agree) | 14/25 (56.0) |
| Experienced Homophobia | |
| Reported at least one experience, evere | 21/25 (84.0) |
| Reported at least one type of experience “very frequently,” ever e | 13/25 (52.0) |
| Experienced Racism | |
| Reported at least one experience, ever f | 18/25 (72.0) |
| Reported at least one type of experience “very frequently,” everf | 3/25 (12.0) |
LGBT, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.
Total sample size was 25. Due to missing data and skip patterns, the denominator for each measure is indicated.
Restricted to BYMSM/TW who reported ever coming out to their mother (n = 20) or father (n = 13) figure.
Lubben Social Network Scale.
Composite of 7 items each scored from 1 to 7; overall range 1–49. Lower scores indicate greater internalized homonegativity.
Included being made fun of or called names, hit, hearing that gay people will be alone when old, hearing that gay people are not normal, feeling that sexuality embarrassed family, pretended to be straight to be accepted, lost a job or other opportunity, cutting off a relationship with friends or family, or being harassed by police because of sexuality.
Included being made fun of or called names, hit, treated rudely, denied entry to a gay venue, harassed by police, limited in job search, limited in finding sex, or limited when looking for a relationship because of race/ethnicity.