TY - JOUR
T1 - Being in the Closet
T2 - Correlates of Outness Among MSM in 13 European Cities
AU - Gios, Lorenzo
AU - Mirandola, Massimo
AU - Sherriff, Nigel
AU - Toskin, Igor
AU - Blondeel, Karel
AU - Dias, Sonia
AU - Staneková, Danica
AU - Folch, Cinta
AU - Schink, Susanne Barbara
AU - Nöstlinger, Christiane
AU - Berghe, Wim Vanden
AU - Naseva, Emilia
AU - Alexiev, Ivailo
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Data for MSM continue to show a high risk of acquiring HIV-STIs. Within this population, outness seems to have an impact on both risk-taking and on health seeking behaviors. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between socio-demographic, behavioral characteristics, testing behaviors, and outness level among MSM using data from a multi-center bio-behavioral cross-sectional study carried out in 13 EU cities. A multilevel analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with being open (“out”) versus not being open (“in”). A total of 4,901 MSM were enrolled in the study and were classified as “out” in 71% of the cases. MSM “out” were more likely to report HIV testing and being reached by HIV prevention programs compared to MSM who were “in.” The results confirm the key role of outness in relation to different healthy and risky behavior, ranging from testing to party-drug use.
AB - Data for MSM continue to show a high risk of acquiring HIV-STIs. Within this population, outness seems to have an impact on both risk-taking and on health seeking behaviors. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between socio-demographic, behavioral characteristics, testing behaviors, and outness level among MSM using data from a multi-center bio-behavioral cross-sectional study carried out in 13 EU cities. A multilevel analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with being open (“out”) versus not being open (“in”). A total of 4,901 MSM were enrolled in the study and were classified as “out” in 71% of the cases. MSM “out” were more likely to report HIV testing and being reached by HIV prevention programs compared to MSM who were “in.” The results confirm the key role of outness in relation to different healthy and risky behavior, ranging from testing to party-drug use.
KW - bio-behavioral survey
KW - HIV testing
KW - MSM
KW - outness
KW - respondent-driven sampling
KW - risk behaviors
KW - Time-Location Sampling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85071972410&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00918369.2019.1656033
DO - 10.1080/00918369.2019.1656033
M3 - Article
C2 - 31483215
AN - SCOPUS:85071972410
SN - 0091-8369
VL - 68
SP - 415
EP - 433
JO - Journal of homosexuality
JF - Journal of homosexuality
IS - 3
ER -