Syndemic Conditions Reinforcing Disparities in HIV and Other STIs in an Urban Sample of Behaviorally Bisexual Latino Men.

Syndemics research has made great contributions to understanding sexual risk among Latino men who have sex with men. However, such work often combines data for behaviorally bisexual men with data for men with exclusively same-sex partners. Using cross-sectional data from 148 behaviorally bisexual Latino men, this study explored the impact of syndemic factors-polydrug use, childhood sexual abuse, and depression-on sexual risk behaviors and STI incidence. Approximately one-third of participants reported polydrug use, 22% reported childhood sexual abuse, and 26% screened for clinically significant depressive symptoms. An increase in syndemic factors was associated with increased odds of lifetime STI incidence and condomless receptive anal intercourse with men; however, the model did not predict condomless insertive anal intercourse with men or condomless vaginal intercourse. More efforts are needed to explore the varying mechanisms, including but not restricted to the combined impact of syndemic conditions, that influence sexual risk in this population.