Familism and Sexual Regulation Among Bisexual Latino Men

As the AIDS epidemic continues to disproportionately affect the Latino and African American communities in the United States, little is still known about bisexual behavior and sexual risk of Latino and African American men. This article explores the construct of familism (i.e., the cultural value that weighs on the interdependence among nuclear and extended family members for support, emotional connectedness, familial honor, loyalty, and solidarity) as an analytical point of departure from which to conceptualize sexual risk for bisexual Latino men. Data collection methods involved detailed sexual histories of 18 bisexually-active Latino men in the metropolitan New York City area. The results of this study indicate that familism, as defined by familial support, emotional interconnectedness, and familial honor, shapes the sexual decisions of bisexual teenage and adult Latino men.