Factors Influencing Disclosure of Sexual Orientation Among HIV-Positive Latino Gay and Bisexual Men
Open AccessThe purpose of this study was to investigate some factors believed to facilitate or discourage the disclosure of sexual orientation among Latino gay and bisexual men: U.S. acculturation, Latino acculturation, comfort with sexual orientation, self-ascribed masculinity, and the Sexual orientation of the closest friend. Two models of disclosure were tested, one for disclosure to the mother and father and one for disclosure to the closest friend. These models were tested on a sample of 300 HIV-positive Latino MSM recruited in three large cities in the East Coast of the United States; most of the men were immigrants. Time since HIV diagnosis was included as a control variable. Logistic regressions were used to analyze the statistical models. Comfort with sexual orientation emerged as the strongest predictor of disclosure with higher levels of comfort being associated with a greater likelihood of disclosure to the mother, father, and closest friend. Self-ascribed masculinity and U.S. acculturation had a moderate effect. Higher levels of self-ascribed masculinity were associated with a lower likelihood of disclosure to the mother and father, while higher levels of U.S. acculturation were associated with a greater likelihood of disclosure to these same targets. The sexual orientation of the closest friend was associated with greater likelihood of disclosure whenever the closest friend was a gay male. Latino acculturation and time since HIV diagnosis did not predict disclosure to any of the targets.
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