IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0071546.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sexual Healthcare Preferences among Gay and Bisexual Men: A Qualitative Study in San Francisco, California

Author

Listed:
  • Kimberly A Koester
  • Shane P Collins
  • Shannon M Fuller
  • Gabriel R Galindo
  • Steven Gibson
  • Wayne T Steward

Abstract

Background: Research on gay and other men who have sex with men's (G/MSM) preferences for sexual healthcare services focuses largely on HIV testing and to some extent on sexually transmitted infections (STI). This research illustrates the frequency and location of where G/MSM interface with the healthcare system, but it does not speak to why men seek care in those locations. As HIV and STI prevention strategies evolve, evidence about G/MSM's motivations and decision-making can inform future plans to optimize models of HIV/STI prevention and primary care. Methods: We conducted a phenomenological study of gay men's sexual health seeking experiences, which included 32 in-depth interviews with gay and bisexual men. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and entered into Atlas.ti. We conducted a Framework Analysis. Findings: We identified a continuum of sexual healthcare seeking practices and their associated drivers. Men differed in their preferences for separating sexual healthcare from other forms of healthcare (“fragmentation”) versus combining all care into one location (“consolidation”). Fragmentation drivers included: fear of being monitored by insurance companies, a desire to seek non-judgmental providers with expertise in sexual health, a desire for rapid HIV testing, perceiving sexual health services as more convenient than primary care services, and a lack of healthcare coverage. Consolidation drivers included: a comfortable and trusting relationship with a provider, a desire for one provider to oversee overall health and those with access to public or private health insurance. Conclusions: Men in this study were likely to separate sexual healthcare from primary care. Based on this finding, we recommend placing new combination HIV/STI prevention interventions within sexual health clinics. Furthermore, given the evolution of the financing and delivery of healthcare services and in HIV prevention, policymakers and clinicians should consider including more primary care services within sexual healthcare settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Kimberly A Koester & Shane P Collins & Shannon M Fuller & Gabriel R Galindo & Steven Gibson & Wayne T Steward, 2013. "Sexual Healthcare Preferences among Gay and Bisexual Men: A Qualitative Study in San Francisco, California," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(8), pages 1-11, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0071546
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071546
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0071546
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0071546&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0071546?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mayer, K.H. & Venkatesh, K.K., 2010. "Antiretroviral therapy as HIV prevention: Status and prospects," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(10), pages 1867-1876.
    2. Lanier, Y. & Sutton, M.Y., 2013. "Reframing the context of preventive health care services and prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections for young men: New opportunities to reduce racial/ethnic sexual health disparit," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(2), pages 262-269.
    3. Elise D Riley & Torsten B Neilands & Kelly Moore & Jennifer Cohen & David R Bangsberg & Diane Havlir, 2012. "Social, Structural and Behavioral Determinants of Overall Health Status in a Cohort of Homeless and Unstably Housed HIV-Infected Men," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(4), pages 1-7, April.
    4. Gruskin, E.P. & Greenwood, G.L. & Matevia, M. & Pollack, L.M. & Bye, L.L., 2007. "Disparities in smoking between the lesbian, gay, and bisexual population and the general population in California," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(8), pages 1496-1502.
    5. Greenwood, G.L. & Paul, J.P. & Pollack, L.M. & Binson, D. & Catania, J.A. & Chang, J. & Humfleet, G. & Stall, R., 2005. "Tobacco use and cessation among a household-based simple of US urban men who have sex with men," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(1), pages 145-151.
    6. Gilman, S.E. & Cochran, S.D. & Mays, V.M. & Hughes, M. & Ostrow, D. & Kessler, R.C., 2001. "Risk of psychiatric disorders among individuals reporting same-sex sexual partners in the national comorbidity survey," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(6), pages 933-939.
    7. Johnson, C.V. & Mimiaga, M.J. & Reisner, S.L. & Tetu, A.M. & Cranston, K. & Bertrand, T. & Novak, D.S. & Mayer, K.H., 2009. "Health care access and sexually transmitted infection screening frequency among at-risk Massachusetts men who have sex with men," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(S1), pages 187-192.
    8. The HIV Modelling Consortium Treatment as Prevention Editorial Writing Group, 2012. "HIV Treatment as Prevention: Models, Data, and Questions—Towards Evidence-Based Decision-Making," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(7), pages 1-8, July.
    9. Archer, R. & Hoff, G.L. & Snook, W.D. & Greenwood, G.L. & Paul, J.P. & Pollack, L.M. & Binson, D. & Catania, J.A. & Chang, J. & Humfleet, G. & Stall, R., 2005. "Tobacco use and cessation among men who have sex with men (Multiple leter)," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(6), pages 929-929.
    10. Mayer, K.H. & Bradford, J.B. & Makadon, H.J. & Stall, R. & Goldhammer, H. & Landers, S., 2008. "Sexual and gender minority health: What we know and what needs to be done," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(6), pages 989-995.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Martos, Alexander J. & Wilson, Patrick A. & Gordon, Allegra R. & Lightfoot, Marguerita & Meyer, Ilan H., 2018. "“Like finding a unicorn”: Healthcare preferences among lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 126-133.
    2. Kristen Underhill & Kathleen M Morrow & Christopher M Colleran & Richard Holcomb & Don Operario & Sarah K Calabrese & Omar Galárraga & Kenneth H Mayer, 2014. "Access to Healthcare, HIV/STI Testing, and Preferred Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Providers among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Men Who Engage in Street-Based Sex Work in the US," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(11), pages 1-13, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marco Fonzo & Silvia Cocchio & Matteo Centomo & Tatjana Baldovin & Alessandra Buja & Silvia Majori & Vincenzo Baldo & Chiara Bertoncello, 2021. "Sexual and Gender Minorities and Risk Behaviours among University Students in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-9, November.
    2. Joseph G. L. Lee & Adam O. Goldstein & Leah M. Ranney & Jeff Crist & Anna McCullough, 2011. "High Tobacco Use among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations in West Virginian Bars and Community Festivals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-12, July.
    3. Corinne Reczek & Hui Liu & Dustin Brown, 2014. "Cigarette Smoking in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Unions: The Role of Socioeconomic and Psychological Factors," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(4), pages 527-551, August.
    4. Amanda K. Gilmore & Tatiana M. Davidson & Ruschelle M. Leone & Lauren B. Wray & Daniel W. Oesterle & Christine K. Hahn & Julianne C. Flanagan & Kathleen Gill-Hopple & Ron Acierno, 2019. "Usability Testing of a Mobile Health Intervention to Address Acute Care Needs after Sexual Assault," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-16, August.
    5. Helmut Beichler & Igor Grabovac & Birgit Leichsenring & Thomas Ernst Dorner, 2022. "Involvement, Perception, and Understanding as Determinants for Patient–Physician Relationship and Their Association with Adherence: A Questionnaire Survey among People Living with HIV and Antiretrovir," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-14, August.
    6. Karinna Saxby, 2022. "Australia's LGBTIQ Research Data Landscape," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 55(2), pages 290-308, June.
    7. Wenjian Xu & Wanjie Tang & Jing Zhang & Xin Shi & Yong Zheng & Michelle R. Kaufman, 2020. "Cigarette Smoking and Its Associations with Substance Use and HIV-Related Sexual Risks among Chinese Men Who Have Sex with Men," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-14, March.
    8. Hausken, Kjell & Ncube, Mthuli, 2015. "Policy-Makers, the International Community and People Living with HIV: The Need for New Commitment Mechanisms," UiS Working Papers in Economics and Finance 2015/6, University of Stavanger.
    9. Lina Aldén & Lena Edlund & Mats Hammarstedt & Michael Mueller-Smith, 2015. "Effect of Registered Partnership on Labor Earnings and Fertility for Same-Sex Couples: Evidence From Swedish Register Data," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(4), pages 1243-1268, August.
    10. Erin Ziegler & Ruta Valaitis & Nancy Carter & Cathy Risdon & Jennifer Yost, 2020. "Primary Care for Transgender Individuals: A Review of the Literature Reflecting a Canadian Perspective," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(3), pages 21582440209, September.
    11. Ryan Combs & Monica Wendel & T. Gonzales, 2018. "Considering transgender and gender nonconforming people in health communication campaigns," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 1-6, December.
    12. Jessica H. Leibler & Daniel D. Nguyen & Casey León & Jessie M. Gaeta & Debora Perez, 2017. "Personal Hygiene Practices among Urban Homeless Persons in Boston, MA," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-9, August.
    13. Shoshana Y Kahana & Richard A Jenkins & Douglas Bruce & Maria I Fernandez & Lisa B Hightow-Weidman & Jose A Bauermeister & Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions, 2016. "Structural Determinants of Antiretroviral Therapy Use, HIV Care Attendance, and Viral Suppression among Adolescents and Young Adults Living with HIV," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(4), pages 1-19, April.
    14. Cecilia T. Hardacker & Anna Baccellieri & Elizabeth R. Mueller & Linda Brubaker & Georgia Hutchins & Jory Luc Yimei Zhang & Jeni Hebert-Beirne, 2019. "Bladder Health Experiences, Perceptions and Knowledge of Sexual and Gender Minorities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-18, August.
    15. Hughes, Tonda & Szalacha, Laura A. & McNair, Ruth, 2010. "Substance abuse and mental health disparities: Comparisons across sexual identity groups in a national sample of young Australian women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(4), pages 824-831, August.
    16. Collins, Timothy W. & Grineski, Sara E. & Morales, Danielle X., 2017. "Environmental injustice and sexual minority health disparities: A national study of inequitable health risks from air pollution among same-sex partners," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 38-47.
    17. Dian-Jeng Li & Shiou-Lan Chen & Yu-Ping Chang & Cheng-Fang Yen, 2020. "Factors Affecting Painkillers, Sedatives/Hypnotics, Nicotine, and Unhealthy Alcohol Use Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-13, January.
    18. Hatzenbuehler, Mark L. & Bellatorre, Anna & Lee, Yeonjin & Finch, Brian K. & Muennig, Peter & Fiscella, Kevin, 2014. "Structural stigma and all-cause mortality in sexual minority populations," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 33-41.
    19. Richard S. Henry & Paul B. Perrin & Erin R. Smith, 2022. "Religiosity, Religious Fundamentalism, Heterosexism, and Support for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights: A Moderated Mediation Approach," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-17, April.
    20. Concetta P Pelullo & Gabriella Di Giuseppe & Italo F Angelillo, 2013. "Frequency of Discrimination, Harassment, and Violence in Lesbian, Gay Men, and Bisexual in Italy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(8), pages 1-1, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0071546. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.