3 - (SYM 131) Interpersonal Moderators of the Minority Stress-hiv Risk Association in Male Couples

Background: Minority stressors have been linked to HIV risk behaviors among gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Committed partnerships are a key context for new HIV infections and coping with minority stressors among MSM. However, very little work has tested the minority stress-HIV risk link among male couples, and little is known about how support processes within one’s social network may moderate (i.e., exacerbate or buffer) this association. This presentation will report links between minority stress and HIV risk behaviors (e.g., condomless anal sex with outside partners, breaks in relationship agreements) among male couples, as well as social moderators of these associations.

Methods: A sample of male dyads (N=484 individuals, 242 couples) enrolled in a large, sequential cohort study completed self-report measures of minority stress (internalized stigma, microaggressions), HIV risk behaviors (condomless anal sex, breaks in relationship agreements), and social moderators (social support, dyadic coping). These measures were submitted to a series of main effect and moderated actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs).

Results: There were no significant findings in main effect APIMs. Significant effects in moderated APIMs suggested that social support outside of the relationship (as well as shared coping within the relationship) buffers the minority stress-HIV risk link among male couples. Conversely, receiving social support from a partner who is experiencing high minority stress increased HIV risk behaviors.

Conclusions: Although social support was shown to be a significant buffer in the minority stress-HIV risk association, overreliance on a partners’ social support may exacerbate this among male couples. We will discuss future applications, including socioculturally-specific models of reducing HIV risk among male couples.