The Effect of Partner Sex: Nondisclosure of HIV Status to Male and Female Partners among Men who Have Sex with Men and Women (MSMW)

PWP-CCPR-2010-003

Abstract

A common concern within HIV prevention is that HIV positive MSMW do not disclose their HIV status to female partners who are thus at increased risk for HIV infection. The present study uses unique data to examine whether MSMW actually disclose more often to male rather than female partners. Data were collected on most recent male and/or female primary partner and four most recent casual partners from150 MSMW (50 African American, 50 Latino, 50 White). MSMW reported on 586 partners (30% female; 70% male). Disclosure was coded as disclosure before sex, disclosure after sex, or nondisclosure. A series of multinomial logistic regressions with partners clustered within respondents were conducted to evaluate effects of respondent characteristics and partner characteristics on timing of disclosure. In bivariate and multivariate analyses there were no significant differences in odds of disclosure to male and female partners before or after sex. However, while MSMW were substantially less likely to disclose to HIV negative before sex compared to HIV positive partners regardless of sex, HIV negative male partners were more likely to be disclosed to before sex than HIV negative female partners. The paper makes additional methodological contributions to the measurement and analysis of disclosure.