Do Ask, Do Tell: Understanding Disclosure of Sexuality and Implications Among MSM Active Duty Service Members

Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for over half of new diagnoses of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) every year in the United States, with over one-third of this population being unaware of their HIV status. The U.S. Military requires biannual HIV testing for all service members. Although this may be an appropriate recommendation for the military at large, current health protection agencies suggest more frequent testing for those at increased risk of HIV transmission, such as those in the MSM community. However, more frequent testing for those at higher risk relies heavily on the preliminary step of patient disclosure of sexual practices to health care providers.

An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted in order to gain a better understanding of the relationship between sexual health variables and the disclosure of sexual identity to health care providers by MSM service members. A convenience sample of MSM currently serving in the U.S. military services (N = 354) was used to collect demographic data, sexual health and history, and opinions concerning medical treatment and HIV. Analyses of the data were conducted using univariate analysis and multivariate regression.

Men of color were more likely to report a higher degree of sexual identification transparency with their health care providers, which deviates from the civilian population. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake was increased among individuals who were more transparent with their health care providers.

Findings from this study indicate that feeling more comfortable sharing one's sexual identification with a health care provider results in increased engagement with HIV prevention measures. Potential implications for the Military Health System are the advancement of preventive sexual health screening procedures and the development and revision of policies that promote positive outcomes for gender and sexual minorities.