Exploring Latino cultural factors from the perspective of sexual minority men in the USA.

Abstract

Existing research on Latino cultural factors mainly focuses on gender and nationality, often overlooking sexual orientation and giving limited attention to the experiences of Latino sexual minority men in the United States of America (USA). This study addressed this gap by exploring how sexual minority men identify, describe and experience Latino cultural factors. Between April and December 2019, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 men (ages 18-40, 43% non-US-born) in the greater Miami, Florida area to explore their engagement in HIV prevention and behavioural health services. Secondary qualitative analysis examined five Latino cultural factors (personalismo, machismo, familismo, fatalismo and curanderismo), informed by the existing literature for initial coding and supplemented by the use of an inductive approach, yielding 14 subthemes. Findings revealed that although participants often described cultural factors in their traditional interpretations within the Latino community at large, they also highlighted unique experiences, particularly for relationship-oriented factors like personalismo, machismo and familismo. Sexual orientation stigma shaped participants' experiences of these cultural factors. Study findings enhance knowledge about Latino sexual minority men's lived experiences in the USA, underscoring how cultural factors are perceived both traditionally and uniquely, and emphasises the need for nuanced, culturally tailored assessments in future research.