Table I:
Reported Demographic, Socioeconomic and Substance Use Characteristics of a Sample of Men Who Have Sex with Men in Massachusetts, with Responses to Questions Related to Discrimination and Stigma (N=382)
| Demographic Characteristics and Substance Use | % (n) | |
|---|---|---|
| AGE M(SD) years | 35.50 (12.32) | |
| Race | ||
| White | 73.30% (280) | |
| Black or African American | 17.30% (66) | |
| Other | 9.40% (36) | |
| Ethnicity | ||
| Hispanic or Latino/a | 18.44% (71) | |
| Not Hispanic or Latino/a | 81.56% (314) | |
| Sexual Orientation | ||
| Heterosexual or “straight” | 1.30% (4) | |
| Homosexual/ Gay | 88.33% (280) | |
| Bisexual | 10.41% (33) | |
| Education | ||
| <=High School Diploma | 14.40% (46) | |
| Technical Degree | 16.90% (54) | |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 38.10% (122) | |
| More than a Bachelor’s Degree | 30.60% (98) | |
| Annual Household Income | ||
| $0-$19,999 | 17.10% (54) | |
| $20,000-$49,999 | 29.10% (92) | |
| $50,000 or more | 53.80% (170) | |
| Homelessness | ||
| Currently | 4.08% (16) | |
| Ever | 5.94% (19) | |
| Stimulant Use in the past 12 months (n=195) | ||
| Any (67) | 35.90% (70) | |
| None (122) | 64.10% (125) | |
| Drug Treatment Ever | ||
| No | 93.10% (296) | |
| Yes | 6.90% (22) | |
| Alcohol Treatment Ever | ||
| No | 89.62% (285) | |
| Yes | 10.38% (33) | |
| Unprotected Anal Sex Partners in Past 12 Months: | ||
| 0 | 53.20% (206) | |
| 1 | 26.40% (102) | |
| ≥2 | 20.4% (79) | |
| Discrimination Variables | % (n) | |
| Gay-Identified: Verbal Discrimination | ||
| No | 82.43% (258) | |
| Yes | 17.57(55) | |
| Gay-Identified: Poor Services | ||
| No | 91.37 (286) | |
| Yes | 8.63(27) | |
| Gay-Identified: Work Discrimination | ||
| No | 91.69(287) | |
| Yes | 8.31(26) | |
| Gay-Identified: Health Discrimination | ||
| No | 97.44(304) | |
| Yes | 2.56(8) | |
| Gay-Identified: Physical Assault | ||
| No | 96.17% (301) | |
| Yes | 3.83% (12) | |
| Stigma-Related Beliefs | Mean (SD) 1=strongly agree-5=strong disagree | |
| People are tolerant of gays and bisexuals | ||
| Strongly agree | 26.20(82) | |
| Agree | 59.11(185) | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 10.86(34) | |
| Disagree | 3.19(10) | |
| Strongly disagree | 0.64(2) | |
| Most people would discriminate against someone with HIV | ||
| Strongly agree | 10.7% (34) | |
| Agree | 29.9% (95) | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 24.5% (78) | |
| Disagree | 31.4% (100) | |
| Strongly disagree | 3.5% (11) | |
| Most people would not be friends with someone with HIV. | ||
| Strongly agree | 1.6% (5) | |
| Agree | 7.9% (25) | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 19.5% (62) | |
| Disagree | 52.2% (166) | |
| Strongly disagree | 18.9% (60) | |
| Most people think that people who got HIV through sex or drug use have gotten what they deserve | ||
| Strongly agree | 2.2% (7) | |
| Agree | 11.6% (37) | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 21.4% (68) | |
| Disagree | 45.0% (143) | |
| Strongly disagree | 19.8% (63) | |
| Most people would support the rights of a person with HIV to live and work wherever they want to. | ||
| Strongly agree | 19.5(62) | |
| Agree | 60.1 (191) | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 14.5(46) | |
| Disagree | 5.0(16) | |
| Strongly disagree | 0.9 (3) | |