Outness and its correlates among gay and bisexual men attending university in China: a cross-sectional study
Yuqing Hu
A # , Song Fan B # , Peiyang Li C # , Hongbo Jiang D , Yinguang Fan E , Tanwei Yuan A , Xinyi Zhou A , Yanxiao Gao A , Leiwen Fu A , Yuewei Zhan A , Huicui Meng A , Yawen Jiang A , Jinqiu Yuan F , Xiaojun Meng G * and Huachun Zou A H *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.
B School of Public Health, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
C School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
D School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
E School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
F Big Data Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
G Wuxi Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi, China.
H Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
* Correspondence to: zouhuachun@mail.sysu.edu.cn, mengxiaojunwx@163.com
# These authors contributed equally to this paper
Handling Editor: Lei Zhang
Sexual Health 19(3) 172-181 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH21251
Submitted: 13 January 2022 Accepted: 20 April 2022 Published: 8 June 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
Background: Disclosure of sexual orientation to others (outness) might be associated with sexual and mental health among gay and bisexual men (GBM) attending university. We aimed to characterise outness and investigate factors correlated with outness among GBM attending university in China.
Methods: Between September 2018 and March 2019, GBM attending university were recruited in six cities in China. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, outness and sexual behaviours were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Each participant was tested for HIV/STIs. Correlates of outness were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.
Results: A total of 400 GBM attending university were recruited, of whom 251 (62.8%) had disclosed their sexual orientation. Men who served as student leaders (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.46–3.54) and donated blood (AOR 1.85, 95% CI: 1.05–3.24) were more likely to disclose their sexual orientation, whereas men who had sex with a female (AOR 0.19, 95% CI: 0.05–0.74) and had group sex (AOR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.30–0.89) were less likely to disclose their sexual orientation. Mental health status, HIV/STI infections were not associated with outness.
Conclusions: GBM attending university who disclosed their sexual orientation were more likely to be involved with student work and less likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviours. More attention and education could focus on non-disclosing GBM men attending university through peer education or other ways.
Keywords: China, gay and bisexual men attending university, HIV, men who have sex with men, mental health, outness, sexual behaviors, sexually transmitted infections.
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