Immigrant generational differences in social support and sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men in Seattle, Washington

Abstract

Different immigrant generations may encounter distinct sexual opportuni-ties with implications for HIV transmission. Yet, few studies have examined how immigrant generational status is associated with sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM). We explored relationships between immigrant generational status, social support, and sexual risk behaviors among English-speaking MSM using data from surveys con-ducted in Seattle, Washington, in 2014 (n = 323). We compared the sexual risk behaviors and social support of first-generation, second-generation, and third-and higher-generation MSM, and examined whether immigrant generational status and social support were associated with sexual risk be-haviors using logistic regression models. Second-generation MSM reported lower friend social support than first-or third-and higher-generation MSM (p