Assessing self-reported discrimination among men who have sex with men (MSM)

To determine the prevalence of four forms of sexual identity discrimination among MSM in 23 US metropolitan statistical areas, examine racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in each form of discrimination.

We examined interview data collected during 2017 for National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (n = 10 029 respondents) and used generalized linear models to assess the association between the prevalence of reported discrimination during the previous 12 months and selected sociodemographic groups.

Overall, 34% of participants reported experiencing verbal discrimination; 16%, discrimination in a workplace, school, or a healthcare setting; and 8%, physical assault. MSM who had reported experiencing discrimination were most likely to be young, had achieved lower education, and had lower incomes. High prevalence of reported discrimination was associated with young age, lower education, lower household income, sexual identity disclosure, and lower perceived community tolerance of gay or bisexual persons.

MSM discrimination affects different groups and occurs in multiple settings. Addressing discrimination should be an integral aspect of multifaceted efforts to improve MSM health.