HIV prevalence and associated risk behaviors in New York City's house ball community.

Abstract

We measured HIV seroprevalence and associated risk factors among persons in New York City's house ball community. In 2004 we conducted a venue-based risk-behavior survey and HIV testing in the house ball community. Of the 504 study participants, 67% were male, 14% female, and 18% transgender. Mean age was 24 years (range=15-52 years); 55% were Black, and 40% were Latino. More than 85% of participants had previously been tested for HIV, although only 60% had been tested in the previous 12 months. Of the 84 (17%) persons who tested positive for HIV in our study, 61 (73%) were unaware of their HIV status. A logistic regression analysis on data from 371 participants who had had a male sexual partner in the previous 12 months showed that HIV-infected participants were more likely than were HIV-negative participants to be Black, to be older than 29 years, and not to have been tested for HIV in the previous 12 months. Culturally specific community-level prevention efforts are warranted to reduce risk behaviors and increase the frequency of HIV testing in New York City's house ball community.