Peer Crowd Affiliation's Relationship with Health Risk and Promotion Behaviors in Emerging Adult Sexual Minoritized Men: The P18 Cohort Study

While previous research has identified a significant relationship between adult sexual minority men's (SMM) peer crowd affiliation and health risk and promotion behaviors such as substance, drug, and condom use, these associations have not been investigated in a focused exploration with emerging adult SMM. The current study investigated the association between health risk and promotion behaviors with peer crowd affiliation among emerging adult SMM. Data in this study came from the first of the seven-wave longitudinal P18 Cohort Study and included N = 568 18-year-old SMM in New York City. Researchers regressed 17 SMM peer crowds with health risk behaviors while controlling for socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity. SMM who affiliated with the peer crowds, guy next door, sexpig, trendy, hipster, fashionista, circuit boy/club kid, ballroom drag, and twink endorsed engaging in significantly more or less health risk behaviors (i.e., drug use, substance use, and condom use) compared to nonaffiliates. For example, twink peer crowd affiliates engaged in significantly more condomless anal receptive sex behaviors compared to nonaffiliates while also engaging in substantially less marijuana use. Sexpig peer crowd affiliates demonstrated no relationship with condom use but used cocaine and other drugs (e.g., poppers, ecstasy, Viagra, heroin, methamphetamine) significantly more compared to nonaffiliates, while drag/ballroom affiliates used significantly more cocaine and less alcohol than nonaffiliates. Findings suggest that affiliating with SMM-specific peer crowds may protect or encourage SMM emerging adults' engagement in substance, drug, and condom use. Researchers discuss the implications of culture-specific peer crowd behavioral norms in emerging adult SMMs' lives.