Comparing Rural and Urban HIV Risk Behaviors Among Adolescent Sexual Minority Males

An Archives of Sexual Behavior study compares HIV risk behaviors and service use among urban and rural adolescent sexual minority males (ASMM) in the United States, highlighting the potential need for targeted interventions to reduce infection rates in rural areas.

Approximately 20% of new HIV infections in the US are diagnosed in rural areas and researchers often have limited knowledge of the sexual behaviors and use of sexual health care services by rural sexual minority male adolescents. This group, including people who identify as gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men, has the highest proportion of new HIV cases among newly diagnosed patients.

Researchers compared HIV risk behaviors against HIV service use among urban and rural ASMM in the US and found a great deal of overlap with a few key differences. 
“We found that sexually active rural ASMM were less likely to use condoms compared to sexually active urban ASMM,” said study author Christopher Owens, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health. 

Due to being farther from urban cities, people in rural areas often have limited access to HIV education and prevention services, including condoms and condom-use education. Research has also shown that rural health care providers may be less comfortable providing sexual health care services to adolescents, potentially hindering their access to these services.

“Possible interventions include increasing condom availability and sexual education in rural areas and using the internet to better educate rural ASMM about condom use,” Owens said.

Reference
Hale G. Researchers investigate possible rural-urban divide in HIV risk behaviors. News Release; Texas A&M University. Published June 5, 2024. Accessed June 11, 2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1047306