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HIV continues to impact people of color disproportionately. In 2015, Black Americans accounted for 42% of those living with HIV, and Latinx individuals accounted for 30% of new diagnoses. Using a sample of 364 people of color, demographic data, HIV testing history, and interactions with health care providers were collected. Over half of the participants (59.3%) had never been offered an HIV test, and only 19% reported a provider had offered an HIV test once, followed by 14% who have had a provider offer an HIV test more than once. Participants who were offered an HIV test once were 13.23 times more likely to report a history of HIV screening, and those offered an HIV test more than once were 18.02 times more likely to report a history of HIV testing. Participants who reported feeling a "little" judged were 6.85 times less likely to report being screened for HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the Indiana Black Men’s Health Study (N = 455), a community-based sample of adult Black men, the primary aim of this study was to explore factors of health care discrimination, and to examine if such reports differed by age and the frequency of race thoughts. Approximately one in four men reported experiencing discrimination in the health care setting. Results from the multivariable logistic regression models suggested that frequent race thoughts (odds ratio [OR]: 1.89, p < .05), not having health insurance (OR: 1.80, p < .05), and increased depressive symptomology (OR: 1.06, p < .01) were positively associated with reports of health care discrimination. A multiplicative interaction coefficient of age and frequency of race thoughts was included to determine if health care discrimination differed by age and frequency of race thoughts (OR: 1.03, p = .08). Results from the predicted probability plot suggested that the likelihood of experiencing health care discrimination decreases with age (OR: 0.97, p < .05). In particular, results suggested that between the ages of 33 and 53 years, Black men who experienced frequent race thoughts were more likely to report experiences of discrimination in the health care setting than men of the same age that did not experience frequent race thoughts. These results highlight the need for empirical work to better understand the experiences of Black men, a group less likely to utilize health care services than most adult groups within the health care setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines lesbian, gay, and bisexual patients' disclosure patterns of sexual orientation to health care providers. Using a semistructured interview format, researchers conducted interviews with 24 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) adults about sexual orientation disclosure strategies. All interviews were transcribed and independently coded using thematic analysis. Results suggest that patient sexual orientation disclosure may be patient initiated and may occur to clarify or correct provider misinformation. Participants disclosed their orientation early in the medical visit during introductions, during small talk with the provider, and during the history-taking phase of the visit. Participants characterized sexual orientation disclosures as presented with minimal information, casually, and often indirectly. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has demonstrated that experiencing interpersonal discrimination is associated with cigarette smoking. Few studies have examined the relationship between the effects of physical and emotional discrimination and cigarette usage, and none have examined this relationship among Black men. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the effects of physical and emotional discrimination and cigarette smoking. Methods: Data from the Indiana Black Men's Health Study, a community-based sample of adult Black men, was used to conduct multivariate logistic regression to examine the relationship between the physical and emotional effects of discrimination and smoking, net of healthcare and workplace discrimination, age, education, household income, and being married. Results: After adjusting for having an emotional response to discrimination, health care and workplace discrimination, age, education, household income, and being married, males who had a physical response to discrimination (e.g., upset stomach or headache) had higher odds of cigarette use (odds ratio (OR): 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15–3.30) than men who did not have a physical response to discrimination. Conclusion: Findings from the study suggest that Black males may use cigarette smoking as a means to mitigate the stress associated with experiences of discrimination. Future research is needed further to explore if and how Black males use cigarette smoking to cope with unfair treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine the role of social support and additional predisposing, enabling and need factors that may be associated with past year dental visits among adult Black men.Methods: Data came from a 2011 study of 1,444 Black men from 12 Indiana counties. Based on Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization, we conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses examining predisposing (age, sex, marital status, education), enabling (income, employment, health insurance, place of sick care, social support) and need factors (self-reported smoking status, health status, mental health days, and fruit and vegetable consumption).Results: Overall, 42% of African American males sought dental care in the past year. Several predisposing (being married, having a college degree), enabling (being unemployed, having higher income, having health insurance and reporting high levels of social support) and need (increased fruit consumption) factors were found to be positively associated (P < 0.05) with past year dental care utilization in the fully adjusted model. Vegetable consumption was not significantly associated with past year dental use.Conclusion: Adult black men in this sample underutilized dental services. Results suggest several factors that can be used to target Black men to increase utilization rates. In particular, social support may be a promising factor that should be explored in further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]