Sexual Orientation, Religious Coping, and Drug Use in a Sample of HIV-Infected African-American Men Living in the Southern USA

This study investigated the relationship between religious coping, drug use, and sexual orientation in a sample of HIV-infected African-American men (40 heterosexuals; 64 sexual minorities). Most participants (76%) reported being “moderately” or “very” religious. We found no main effect of religious coping or sexual orientation on frequency of drug use. However, there was an interaction between positive religious coping and sexual orientation. Among heterosexuals, positive religious coping was inversely associated wi th frequency of drug use. However, this relationship was not significant among sexual minorities. Findings suggest HIV-infected African-American sexual minorities living in the South may need additional coping resources to decrease vulnerability to drug use.

Source: Journal of Religion and Health - March 24, 2019 Category: Medical Ethics Source Type: research