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The Relationship of Hispanic Cultural Factors and Sexual Behaviors of Hispanic Men Who Have Sex with Men

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Abstract

Hispanics are the largest ethnic minority group in the U.S. and account for 21% of new cases of HIV infection. Previous researchers have examined the relationship of Hispanic cultural factors and the sexual behaviors of Hispanic men who have sex with men (HMSM). However, the exact influence of Hispanic culture factors on the sexual behaviors of these men is currently unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of selected Hispanic cultural factors and the sexual behaviors of a sample of HMSM. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 125 Hispanic men in Miami-Dade County, FL. Participants completed standardized measures of Hispanic cultural factors, sexual behaviors, and a demographic questionnaire. Statistically significant positive correlations were noted between age and total cultural constructs, familism, personalism, and machismo. Statistically significant negative correlations were noted between education and total cultural constructs, and education and fatalism. No statistically significant correlation coefficients were noted between total cultural constructs and total sexual behaviors. However, statistically significant positive correlations were noted between condom use and personalism, and assertiveness and personalism. A statistically significant negative correlation was noted between familism and anal sex. Nurses and other clinicians providing care for HMSM need awareness of certain Hispanic cultural factors (personalism and familism) that may be related to sexual behaviors among HMSM. More research is needed to understand how personalism and familism may be used as protective factors to decrease sexual risk of HMSM.

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Acknowledgements

This publication was made possible by support from the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine funded by Grant (P30AI073961) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), J. De Santis, PI. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number 1P60MD00266-01, J. De Santis, PI. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Joseph P. De Santis, Karina A. Gattamorta, Beatriz Valdes & Michael Sanchez

  2. School of Nursing, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA

    Elias Provencio-Vasquez

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  1. Joseph P. De Santis
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  2. Karina A. Gattamorta
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  3. Beatriz Valdes
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  4. Michael Sanchez
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  5. Elias Provencio-Vasquez
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Correspondence to Joseph P. De Santis.

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All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Miami and/or national research committees, and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and later amendments of comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all participants in this study.

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De Santis, J.P., Gattamorta, K.A., Valdes, B. et al. The Relationship of Hispanic Cultural Factors and Sexual Behaviors of Hispanic Men Who Have Sex with Men. Sexuality & Culture 23, 292–309 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-018-9557-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-018-9557-8

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