Migration, Neighborhoods, and Networks: Approaches to Understanding how Urban Environmental Conditions affect Syndemic Adverse Health Outcomes among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men who have Sex with Men

Author(s)

James E. Egan, Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, The New York Academy of MedicineFollow
Victoria Frye, Laboratory of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Lindsley F. Kimball Research InstituteFollow
Steven P. Kurtz, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Carl Latkin, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthFollow
Minxing Chen, Nova Southeastern University
Karin E. Tobin, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthFollow
Cui Yang, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthFollow
Beryl A. Koblin, Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute

ORCID ID

0000-0003-3888-7148, 0000-0003-3239-7201, 0000-0002-7931-2116, 0000-0002-1247-8752, 0000-0003-1000-979X, 0000-0002-5914-6878

ResearcherID

H-3010-2014

Publication Title

AIDS and Behavior

ISSN

1090-7165

Publication Date

4-15-2011

Abstract

Adopting socioecological, intersectionality, and lifecourse theoretical frameworks may enhance our understanding of the production of syndemic adverse health outcomes among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM). From this perspective, we present preliminary data from three related studies that suggest ways in which social contexts may influence the health of MSM. The first study, using cross-sectional data, looked at migration of MSM to the gay resort area of South Florida, and found that amount of time lived in the area was associated with risk behaviors and HIV infection. The second study, using qualitative interviews, observed complex interactions between neighborhood-level social environments and individual-level racial and sexual identity among MSM in New York City. The third study, using egocentric network analysis with a sample of African American MSM in Baltimore, found that sexual partners were more likely to be found through face-to-face means than the Internet. They also observed that those who co-resided with a sex partner had larger networks of people to depend on for social and financial support, but had the same size sexual networks as those who did not live with a partner. Overall, these findings suggest the need for further investigation into the role of macro-level social forces on the emotional, behavioral, and physical health of urban MSM.

DOI

10.1007/s10461-011-9902-5

Volume

15

Issue

1

First Page

35

Last Page

50

NSUWorks Citation

Egan, J. E., Frye, V., Kurtz, S. P., Latkin, C., Chen, M., Tobin, K. E., Yang, C., & Koblin, B. A. (2011). Migration, Neighborhoods, and Networks: Approaches to Understanding how Urban Environmental Conditions affect Syndemic Adverse Health Outcomes among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men who have Sex with Men. AIDS and Behavior, 15 (1), 35-50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-9902-5