HIV-Related Risk Behaviors Among Male High School Students Who Had Sexual Contact with Males - 17 Large Urban School Districts, United States, 2009-2013

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016 Feb 12;65(5):106-9. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6505a2.

Abstract

Young persons aged 13-24 years accounted for an estimated 22% of all new diagnoses of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the United States in 2014. Most new HIV diagnoses among youths occur among males who have sex with males (MSM). Among all MSM, young black MSM accounted for the largest number of new HIV diagnoses in 2014 (1). To determine whether the prevalence of HIV-related risk behaviors among black male high school students who had sexual contact with males differed from the prevalence among white and Hispanic male students who had sexual contact with males, potentially contributing to the racial/ethnic disparities in new HIV diagnoses, CDC analyzed data from Youth Risk Behavior Surveys conducted by 17 large urban school districts during 2009-2013. Although other studies have examined HIV-related risk behaviors among MSM (2,3), less is known about MSM aged <18 years. Black male students who had sexual contact with males had a lower or similar prevalence of most HIV-related risk behaviors than did white and Hispanic male students who had sexual contact with males. These findings highlight the need to increase access to effective HIV prevention strategies for all young MSM.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Black or African American / psychology
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology*
  • HIV Infections / ethnology
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology
  • Hispanic or Latino / statistics & numerical data
  • Homosexuality, Male / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Risk-Taking*
  • Schools
  • Students / psychology*
  • Students / statistics & numerical data
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Urban Population* / statistics & numerical data
  • White People / psychology
  • White People / statistics & numerical data
  • Young Adult