African American young men who have sex with men (YMSM) have shown alarming rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in recent surveys. Targeting factors related to risky sexual behaviors is essential for HIV prevention efforts. This study examined links between lifetime experiences of trauma, trauma-related symptoms, depressive symptoms, sexual health risk behaviors, and health status within a sample of 40 African American YMSM, aged 16 to 24 years, recruited from an adolescent HIV medical program. Results suggest that HIV-positive African American YMSM experience both a high number of traumatic events and higher rates of trauma-related symptoms than normative comparison groups. Additionally, trauma-related symptoms were found to be associated with increased depressive symptoms and sexual health risk behaviors (e.g., condom use) but not with physical health indices. Clinical implications and recommendations for the treatment of in HIV-positive African American YMSM are offered.
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