RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Disclosure of Sexual Orientation and Uptake of HIV Testing and Hepatitis Vaccination for Rural Men Who Have Sex With Men
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 155
OP 158
DO 10.1370/afm.1907
VO 14
IS 2
A1 Nicholas Metheny
A1 Rob Stephenson
YR 2016
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/14/2/155.abstract
AB PURPOSE The decision and ability of primary care clinician to make recommendations for routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines are shaped by knowledge of their patient’s risk behaviors. For men who have sex with men, such knowledge requires disclosure of same-sex sexual behavior or sexual identity.METHODS Data were analyzed from a national survey of rural men who have sex with men (N = 319) to understand whether the disclosure of sexual identity to clinicians was associated with increased uptake of HIV testing and hepatitis vaccinations.RESULTS We found that disclosure of sexual identity to clinicians was significantly associated (OR = 1.26; 95% CI, 1.08–1.47) with uptake of routine HIV testing and HAV/HBV vaccination.CONCLUSION Our finding reinforces the need for safe, nonjudgmental settings for patients to discuss their sexual identities freely with their clinicians.