The high prevalence of incarceration history among Black men who have sex with men in the United States: associations and implications.
Brewer, R. A., Magnus, M., Kuo, I., Wang, L., Liu, Y. Y. & Mayer, K. H. (2014). The high prevalence of incarceration history among Black men who have sex with men in the United States: associations and implications. Journal of AM J Public Health. 104(3):448 54
Aims of the study: The study was aimed at examining the lifetime incarceration among 1553 black men who have sex with men (BMSM). It is for a fact that black men stand a high risk of incarceration more than any other racial group in the United States and, therefore, the reason black BMSM stand at a greater risk of HIV and Aids infection as well as other sexually transmitted ailments (Travis & Waul 2003). Targeting the BMSM population helps bring out the picture of what goes on in prison and the effects of such sexual activities. The study seeks to examine the levels of incarceration in the stated group in the United States.
Research Design: The study was conducted between July 2009 and December 2011. It was a multi- site longitudinal study among BMSM in the United States. The cohort was 1553 black men who have sex with men, and the aim was to determine the feasibility as well as acceptability of a multi-component intervention. The participants were chosen randomly from the community, and some were referred to from a sexual partner.
Methods: Secondary data was used to analyze. The data was acquired from the HIV Prevention Trials Network 061 Study. The modes of assessment were both univariate and multivariable methods and the assessment associations were established between the incarceration history and the demographic (Age, gender, sexual identity and city) as well as psychosocial (past childhood sexual experiences and childhood violence) characteristics. The findings indicate that there are several factors that can be associated with the incarceration history and among them are childhood violence as well as sexual experience, age, sexual affiliations and identity.
Conclusion: the findings of the study indicate that there is an increased incarceration history that is widespread in a geographically diverse group of BMSM in the United States of America. Again, childhood trauma contributes to incarceration, and this study underscores the urgency and need to offer mental help to this group of persons. Consequently, persons who identify as bisexual do not report histories of incarcerations like the straight and heterosexual persons do. At the same time, there is a higher prevalence of previous incarcerations in this sample group of BMSM.
Problems with the study: One of the limitations of this study is the fact that no casualty can be made because it took a cross sectional sample of the BMSM. It leads to the assumption that the findings arrived at can never be generalized to represent the entire group of BMSM in the United States. Many people may not believe the reported incarcerations given that this is a very sensitive topic to talk about openly.
Implications of the study: It becomes clear that it is indeed difficult for persons to come forward and report incarceration. It becomes difficult to get a clear picture of what happens in society among this group of persons. Past experiences also determine incarceration. Therefore, there is need to offer intervention early but because these persons are not free to report, it becomes difficult to know and identify them openly. When all factors are held constant, incarceration becomes a reality. It affects diverse groups but is more prevalent among the black Americans (Loury 2008).
What I learned from reading this study: It came to my attention that incarceration is real and that if more research is to be conducted among BMSM, it needs to include new incarcerations while exploring past ones. At the same time, its frequency should also be examined and also HIV as a variable.
References
Brewer, R. A., Magnus, M., Kuo, I., Wang, L., Liu, Y. Y. & Mayer, K. H. (2014). The high prevalence of incarceration history among Black men who have sex with men in the United States: associations and implications. Journal of AM J Public Health. 104(3):448 54
Loury, G. C. (2008). Race, Incarceration and American Values. Cambridge: MIT Press
Travis, J. & Waul, M. (2003). Prisoners Once Removed: The Impact of Incarceration and Reentry on Children, Families and Communities. Washington D.C: The Urban Institute Press
