Health Care Disparities and Behavioral Health Among Men Who Have Sex with Men

Abstract

Men who have sex with men (MSM) engage in several harmful health behaviors more frequently than do non-MSM. Meanwhile, evidence suggests that MSM experience barriers to accessing health care. To investigate health care disparities and health behaviors, we compared data from a diverse MSM sample (N = 871) to data from men from the National Health Interview Survey (N = 7,783). MSM reported less health care access than did general population men, and were more likely to report smoking, alcohol use, and depression. In addition, a recent health care visit mediated sample differences in smoking and depression, suggesting that health care disparities between MSM and non-MSM are associated with important health outcomes. This study is the first to examine MSM versus general population health care discrepancies using an MSM sample that is not exclusively partnered. Our findings highlight the importance of additional research in this area.