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The Associations of Perceived Social Support with Key HIV Risk and Protective Factors Among Young Males Who Have Sex with Males in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand

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Abstract

This study used respondent-driven sampling to explore the effects of social support on HIV risk and protective factors among young males who have sex with males (YMSM) in Bangkok (N = 273) and Chiang Mai (N = 243), Thailand. It compared different measures of social support, including living situation, the proportion of family and friends to whom the respondent had disclosed their same-sex attraction, and scores on the multi-dimensional scale of perceived social support as predictors of two outcomes of interest—coerced first sex and HIV knowledge. Social support from family played a mediating role in both outcomes among YMSM in Bangkok but not those from Chiang Mai. Though social support from friends was also studied, it was less strongly associated with the outcomes of interest. The findings support interventions designed to leverage social support networks to increase HIV knowledge and decrease coerced first sex among YMSM. At the same time, they demonstrate that there is not a single risk or demographic profile encompassing all YMSM. Successful programs and policies will need to consider the specific attributes and social environment of YMSM in particular locations in order to effectively address HIV risks.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the study participants and data collectors.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Mara Steinhaus

    Present address: , Washington, DC, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Independent Consultant-UNICEF Thailand Office, 19 Phra Atit Road, Chanasongkram, Phra Nakorn, Bangkok, Thailand

    Lisa Johnston & Mara Steinhaus

  2. UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, Bangkok, Thailand

    Justine Sass

  3. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Bangkok, Thailand

    Patchara Benjarattanaporn

  4. Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand

    Petchsri Sirinirund & Taweesap Siraprapasiri

  5. UNICEF Thailand Office, Bangkok, Thailand

    Robert Gass

Authors
  1. Lisa Johnston
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  2. Mara Steinhaus
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  4. Patchara Benjarattanaporn
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  5. Petchsri Sirinirund
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lisa Johnston.

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There are no conflicts of interest for any of the authors.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Johnston, L., Steinhaus, M., Sass, J. et al. The Associations of Perceived Social Support with Key HIV Risk and Protective Factors Among Young Males Who Have Sex with Males in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand. AIDS Behav 22, 1899–1907 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-017-1904-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-017-1904-5

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