Interrelations Of Homosexuality Identity And Internalized Feelings Among The Men Who Have Sex With Men In Liaoning Province

Objective: To analyze the distribution characters and interrelations of homosexu- ality identity (attitudes toward homosexuality, comfort with homosexuality)and internalized feelings(social rejection, financial insecurity, internalized shame, social isolation) among men who have sex with men (MSM).Methods: A total of 807 MSM, recruited from Shenyang, Anshan, Dandong and Benxi, was investigated between May to July in 2008. To be eligible for the study, the respondents had to be: 1, having oral of anal sexual intercourse with another man in the past 12 months; 2, age between 18 and 65 years old; 3, agreement for questionnaire investigation; 4, having recruitment card; 5, not a repeated participant distinguished by an everyday updating fingerprint recognition system. We used respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit participants. 5-10"seeds"were selected in each city and each seed given three coded coupons to refer his peers to the study. MSM recruited by the seeds were then asked to recruit the next wave of respondents, with the process continuing until the target sample size achieved. All respondents were face to face interviewed. Age, socio-demographic characteristics, sexual identity, and education level, and whether or not disclose of sexual identity, infection of HIV/AIDS, and attack of psychiatric disorders, et al., were recorded using a structured questionnaire. Social adaptation was measured by Application Nungessor's (1983) Scale. Social impact was investigated by Social Impact Scale. RDSAT were used to analyze the samples balance. SPSS17.0 were use to describe the distribution characters of social adaptation and social impact. One-factor analysis of variance and/or t-test were used to test these statistical differences.Results: The sample balance analyses indicated that the sampled MSM produced unbiased estimates for the target population. 47%-79% of MSM admitted to their gay identities. But 51%-65% of MSM was still not comfort with homosexuality. 84% of MSM considered necessary to hide their gay identities from most of other people. These all indicated that MSM population had much confusion to their identities. MSM had many negative feeling: about 70%, 60%, 88%, and 84% of MSM had the feeling of social rejection, financial insecurity, internalized shame, and social isolation, respectively. The gay population among MSM was more acceptation and comfort with homosexuality identity than those bisexual, heterosexuality and uncertain sexual orientation. Internalized feelings (social rejection, financial insecurity, internalized shame, social isolation) have significantly negative correlation with homosexuality identity (attitudes toward homosexuality, comfort with homosexuality). MSM with negative attitude and uncomforted to homosexuality had more feelings of social rejection, financial insecurity, internalized shame, and social isolation.Conclusion: (1) Most of MSM were confused about the homosexuality identity, and had the feeling of social rejection, financial insecurity, internalized shame, and social isolation. (2) Homosexual were more comfort with homosexual, but had more feeling of social rejection and social isolation than other sexual orientation participants. Bisexual had more internalized shame than homosexual and were strongest rejected to homosexuality. (3) MSM with older age, lower level education and more hidden their sexual orientation have lower self identity and higher internalized feelings. (4) Internalized feelings (social rejection, financial insecurity, internalized shame, social isolation) have significantly negative correlation with homosexuality identity (attitudes toward homosexuality, comfort with homosexuality).