Principle Investigator(s):
Funder: Research Education Institute for Diverse Scholars (REIDS)
Project period: 05/02/2018 - 05/31/2020
Grant Type: Research
Abstract Text:
Among gay and bisexual men, sexual stigma and discrimination are chronic, cumulative minority stressors that contribute to HIV/STI risk behaviors and poor mental health. Among those with multiple minority identities, the health impact on HIV is even more heightened, specifically among immigrant groups. One particular immigrant group that has been significantly understudied in both the sexual minority literature and the immigration literature, is gay and bisexual Arab immigrants. Informed by Minority Stress Theory and the Cross-National Framework of Immigrant Health, we propose a qualitative study to extend the limited knowledge of how the immigration process impacts HIV/STI risk behaviors and mental health among Lebanese gay and bisexual men in Lebanon and the US. The proposed study will generate new knowledge on how HIV/STI risk behaviors, mental health, and multiple minority stressors influence and are influenced by the immigration process among Lebanese gay and bisexual men.