Minority Stress, Intimate Partner Violence, and Sexual Risk-Taking among Gay and Bisexual Men

Catherine Finneran, Emory University

It is only recently that intimate partner violence (IPV), with its known adverse health effects, has been recognized as prevalent among gay and bisexual men (GBM). We examined the correlates and causes of IPV among GBM using a venue-recruited sample (n=1,053). Using the IPV-GBM scale, reporting of receipt of IPV (46.1%) and perpetration of IPV (33.6%) were high. In logistic regression, men who reported more experiences of minority stress (racist discrimination, homophobic discrimination, and internalized homophobia) were significantly (p<0.05) more likely to report both perpetration and receipt of multiple forms of IPV (physical/sexual, controlling, monitoring, emotional, and HIV-related). Likewise, men who reported receipt or perpetration of IPV had significantly increased odds of reporting unprotected anal intercourse at last anal sex. These findings suggest an IPV framework for MSM in which minority stressors are associated with IPV, which in turn may modify sexual risk-taking and risk for HIV/STIs.