Jesus Ramirez-Valles ^1*, Dalia Garcia ¹, Richard T. Campbell ¹, Rafael M. Diaz ², Douglas D. Heckathorn ³

¹ University of Illinois at Chicago
² San Francisco State University
³ Cornell University

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: valles{at}uic.edu.

	Abstract

Objectives. We examined HIV prevalence and the socioeconomic correlates of HIV infection, sexual risk behaviors, and substance use among Latino gay and bisexual men and transgender persons in Chicago and San Francisco.

Methods. Data were collected from a sample of 643 individuals (Chicago: n=320; San Francisco: n=323) through respondent-driven sampling and computer-assisted self-administered interviews.

Results. HIV prevalence in San Francisco (0.325; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.260, 0.393) was higher than in Chicago (0.112; 95% CI=0.079, 0.163). In San Francisco, HIV prevalence was higher among US-born residents than among those born outside the country; in Chicago, the opposite was true. Heavy use of alcohol was prevalent, especially in Chicago (0.368; 95% CI=0.309, 0.432; San Francisco: 0.154; 95% CI=0.116, 0.192). Drug use and more education were positively correlated and greater age was negatively correlated with unprotected anal intercourse.

Conclusions. Heavy alcohol drinking and use of drugs remain a significant public health problem in this population. Drug use was more closely linked to HIV sexual risk behaviors than was heavy drinking.

Key Words: HIV/AIDS, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Persons, Hispanics/Latinos, Alcohol, Drugs