HIV Testing Among Latino Emerging Adults: Examining Associations with Familism Support, Nativity, and Gender

• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-020-01000-x
• Publication Date: 2020-03-28T17:02:41Z
• Authors: Daisy Ramírez-Ortiz; Diana M. Sheehan; Melanie Paige Moore; Gladys E. Ibañez; Boubakari Ibrahimou; Mario De La Rosa; Miguel Ángel Cano
• Keywords: Adult; Adolescent; Emigrants and Immigrants; Hispanic or Latino; HIV Testing; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; 0302 clinical medicine; 5. Gender equality; Florida; Humans; 10. No inequality; 0305 other medical science

Research examining factors associated with low uptake of HIV testing among Latino emerging adults is scarce. Thus, this study examined the association between familism support and lifetime history of HIV testing among Latino emerging adults, and whether nativity status and gender moderated this association. A cross-sectional online survey of 157 Latino emerging adults aged 18-25 years living in Arizona and Florida was conducted and data were analyzed using robust Poisson regression models. Results indicated that 59.9% of participants reported a lifetime history of HIV testing. Higher familism support was associated with a decreased prevalence of lifetime history of HIV testing (aPR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.68- 0.95). Nativity status moderated the association between familism support and lifetime history of HIV testing, with this negative association, only found among immigrants (aPR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.28-0.74). Gender did not moderate this association. Familism support plays a role in HIV testing behaviors, and thus should be considered when developing programs to increase HIV testing among Latinos.