Disclosure of Sexual Orientation and Uptake of HIV Testing and Hepatitis Vaccination for Rural Men Who Have Sex With Men

Abstract

PURPOSE: The decision and ability of primary care clinician to make recommendations for routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines are shaped by knowledge of their patient's risk behaviors. For men who have sex with men, such knowledge requires disclosure of same-sex sexual behavior or sexual identity. METHODS: Data were analyzed from a national survey of rural men who have sex with men (N = 319) to understand whether the disclosure of sexual identity to clinicians was associated with increased uptake of HIV testing and hepatitis vaccinations. RESULTS: We found that disclosure of sexual identity to clinicians was significantly associated (OR = 1.26; 95% CI, 1.08-1.47) with uptake of routine HIV testing and HAV/HBV vaccination. CONCLUSION: Our finding reinforces the need for safe, nonjudgmental settings for patients to discuss their sexual identities freely with their clinicians.