Martin J Downing
Biographic Data
| ID | 191068 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Martin J Downing |
| GIVEN NAMES | Martin J |
| FAMILY NAME | Downing |
| SIGNATURE | DOWNING M J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Lehman College |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0283-399X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 27 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 72 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 27 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Fear of Crime and Emotional Reactions to Police Surveillance Among Bronx Residents
Background: The current pilot study examines reactions to surveillance techniques used by law enforcement and whether these reactions are associated with fear of crime. Objective: To understand how Bronx residents understand the use of suvrveillance technology used in their community. Method: Data were collected on N = 202 adults ( M age = 39.4 years), primarily identifying as Hispanic/Latino ( n = 102) or Black/African American ( n = 99). Using …
Understanding Black and Latino sexual minority men’s perspectives on assessment of sexual history in diverse health care settings
Findings suggest that a trauma-informed approach to the assessment of sexual histories should consider that patients' current physical and mental states may be (in)directly linked to earlier, traumatic events and that intersecting identities (e.g., gender and race) could influence men's willingness to share their histories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
Personality Traits and eHealth Study Enrollment Among Racial and Sexual Minoritized Men Living with HIV
Examining Cultural Competency and Sexual Abuse Training Needs among Service Providers Working with Black and Latino Sexual Minority Men
Black and Latino sexual minority men (SMM) with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may be reluctant to disclose such experiences or may appraise them as consensual because of cultural norms. Anticipated stigma, medical mistrust, and concerns that providers lack training in sexuality may complicate their efforts to obtain treatment for long-term health consequences of CSA. It is important to examine the training needs of service providers w…
A Syndemic Model of Exchange Sex Among HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men
Exchange sex is a behavior associated with HIV transmission risk among men who have sex with men (MSM). Few studies have examined exchange sex among HIV-positive MSM. We utilize a syndemic framework to account for co-occurring psychosocial problems that suggest the presence of intertwining epidemics (i.e., syndemics), which have not been examined within the context of exchange sex among HIV-positive MSM. In 2015, MSM were recruited via online sex…
Evaluation of Sex Positive! A Video eHealth Intervention for Men Living with HIV
Experiences of Stigma and Support Reported by Participants in a Network Intervention to Reduce HIV Transmission in Athens, Greece; Odessa, Ukraine; and Chicago, Illinois
Transactional Sex, Substance Use, and Sexual Risk: Comparing Pay Direction for an Internet-Based U.S. Sample of Men Who Have Sex with Men
Age of Onset of Alcohol Consumption and Subsequent Negative Health Outcomes in Gay and Bisexual Men Who Have Sex With Men
The correlation between current alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) is well documented, but little is known about age of drinking onset and current risks among this population. Data from a 2008 Internet survey of 8,452 MSM in the United States were used to assess factors associated with age of onset of alcohol use. In a multivariable model, drinking onset before age 15 was significantly associated with a hi…
Sexual risk taking and the HIV care continuum in an online sample of men who have sex with men
Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) suppresses HIV replication, reducing the risk of transmission. However, many people living with HIV in the US are not virally suppressed even after diagnosis and initiating ART, and may become disengaged from care at each stage of the HIV care continuum (HCC). In the current study we assessed the sexual risk behaviors of MSM by HCC stage. US MSM who completed an online survey (N = 12,995) in 2015 were categorized into…
Reasons for Non-Disclosure of Sexual Orientation Among Behaviorally Bisexual Men: Non-Disclosure as Stigma Management
Characteristics and Correlates of Lifetime Suicidal Thoughts and Attempts Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) and Transgender Women
This study examined characteristics and correlates of lifetime suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts among HIV-negative young Black men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (transwomen) between 16 and 29 years of age ( N = 161). In our sample, 36.6% of young Black MSM and transwomen reported a history of lifetime suicidal thoughts, while 16.1% reported prior suicide attempts. Using multivariable analysis, a history of intimate partn…
If You Film It Will They Watch? Factors Associated with Willingness to View Safer Sex Messaging in Internet-Based Sexually Explicit Media
Sexually Explicit Media Use by Sexual Identity: A Comparative Analysis of Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Men in the United States
Recent anxiety symptoms and drug use associated with sexually transmitted infection diagnosis among an online US sample of men who have sex with men
The extent to which mental health problems, including current anxiety and depressive symptoms, may co-occur, or are associated, with the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections other than HIV remains largely unexplored among men who have sex with men. In a cross-sectional survey of 8,381 US men who have sex with men recruited from a sexual networking website, 15 percent reported a past 60-day sexually transmitted infection diagnosis. Among…
Why Video? How Technology Advances Method
This paper reports on the use of video to enhance qualitative research. Advances in technology have improved our ability to capture lived experiences through visual means. I reflect on my previous work with individuals living with HIV/AIDS, the results of which are described in another paper, to evaluate the effectiveness of video as a medium that not only collects data, but also produces knowledge. I have provided strategies for confronting spec…
Drug Use, Sexual Risk, and Syndemic Production Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Who Engage in Group Sexual Encounters
Objectives. We surveyed men who have sex with men (MSM) to determine whether sexual risk behaviors, recent drug use, and other psychosocial problems differed between men who engaged in one-on-one and group sexual encounters. Methods. We conducted an Internet-based cross-sectional survey of 7158 MSM aged 18 years or older in the United States recruited from a gay-oriented sexual networking Web site in 2008. Among MSM who engaged in group sexual en…
Conceptions of privacy and the non-disclosure of same-sex behaviour by behaviourally-bisexual men in heterosexual relationships
Little attention has been paid to why some behaviourally-bisexual men (i.e., men who have sex with both men and women) choose not to disclose their same-sex behaviour. Using Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory, we report on the ways these men conceptualise their same-sex behaviour as private, and thus feel justified in not disclosing it to family, friends and female partners. In-depth interviews were conducted with an ethnically diverse…
Self-presentation, desired partner characteristics, and sexual behavior preferences in online personal advertisements of men seeking non-gay-identified men
Despite attention to the sexual behaviors of non-gay-identified (NGI) men who have same-sex encounters, virtually no research has focused on issues of partner desirability and selection. Limited evidence suggests that a subgroup of men who have sex with men (MSM) advertise online for sexual encounters with NGI men. Exchange theory provided a framework to investigate this seeking of NGI men, based on the content of Internet personal advertisements…
Sexually Explicit Media on the Internet: A Content Analysis of Sexual Behaviors, Risk, and Media Characteristics in Gay Male Adult Videos
Disclosure and concealment of sexual orientation and the mental health of non-gay-identified, behaviorally bisexual men.
OBJECTIVE: Although bisexual men report lower levels of mental health relative to gay men, few studies have examined the factors that contribute to bisexual men's mental health. Bisexual men are less likely to disclose, and more likely to conceal (i.e., a desire to hide), their sexual orientation than gay men. Theory suggests that this may adversely impact their mental health. This report examined the factors associated with disclosure and with c…
Socially-Integrated Transdisciplinary HIV Prevention
Sexual Venue Selection and Strategies for Concealment of Same-Sex Behavior Among Non-Disclosing Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women
In order to conceal their same-sex behavior, men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) who do not disclose their same-sex behavior to female partners must be cautious in their attempts to find potential male partners. This study interviewed 46 non-gay-identified, non-disclosing MSMW to identify the venues where they meet male sexual partners and the strategies they use to reduce the likelihood of discovery when at such venues. Most (74%) reporte…
Prevention case management improves socioeconomic standing and reduces symptoms of psychological and emotional distress among transgender women
Urban transgender women often experience several sociocultural co-factors which contribute to their risk of HIV infection. A transgender-specific HIV Prevention Case Management (PCM) intervention was implemented in a community HIV prevention setting and targeted reducing sex work and homelessness, increasing legal employment and income, and reducing psychological and emotional distress symptoms. Sixty high-risk transgender women were enrolled in …
Reaching and engaging non-gay identified, non-disclosing Black men who have sex with both men and women
Non-gay identified (NGI) Black men who have sex with both men and women (MSMW) and who use substances are at risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV to their partners. Homophobic community norms can discourage such men from disclosing their risk behaviour to female partners and others, including service providers. It is important to understand the dynamics of risk in this vulnerable population, but research is challenged by the men's need for secr…
Reasons for Non-Disclosure of Sexual Orientation Among Behaviorally Bisexual Men: Non-Disclosure as Stigma Management
Sexually Explicit Media on the Internet: A Content Analysis of Sexual Behaviors, Risk, and Media Characteristics in Gay Male Adult Videos
Drug Use, Sexual Risk, and Syndemic Production Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Who Engage in Group Sexual Encounters
Objectives. We surveyed men who have sex with men (MSM) to determine whether sexual risk behaviors, recent drug use, and other psychosocial problems differed between men who engaged in one-on-one and group sexual encounters. Methods. We conducted an Internet-based cross-sectional survey of 7158 MSM aged 18 years or older in the United States recruited from a gay-oriented sexual networking Web site in 2008. Among MSM who engaged in group sexual en…
Sexual Venue Selection and Strategies for Concealment of Same-Sex Behavior Among Non-Disclosing Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women
In order to conceal their same-sex behavior, men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) who do not disclose their same-sex behavior to female partners must be cautious in their attempts to find potential male partners. This study interviewed 46 non-gay-identified, non-disclosing MSMW to identify the venues where they meet male sexual partners and the strategies they use to reduce the likelihood of discovery when at such venues. Most (74%) reporte…
Transactional Sex, Substance Use, and Sexual Risk: Comparing Pay Direction for an Internet-Based U.S. Sample of Men Who Have Sex with Men
Sexually Explicit Media Use by Sexual Identity: A Comparative Analysis of Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Men in the United States
Characteristics and Correlates of Lifetime Suicidal Thoughts and Attempts Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) and Transgender Women
This study examined characteristics and correlates of lifetime suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts among HIV-negative young Black men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (transwomen) between 16 and 29 years of age ( N = 161). In our sample, 36.6% of young Black MSM and transwomen reported a history of lifetime suicidal thoughts, while 16.1% reported prior suicide attempts. Using multivariable analysis, a history of intimate partn…
A Syndemic Model of Exchange Sex Among HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men
Exchange sex is a behavior associated with HIV transmission risk among men who have sex with men (MSM). Few studies have examined exchange sex among HIV-positive MSM. We utilize a syndemic framework to account for co-occurring psychosocial problems that suggest the presence of intertwining epidemics (i.e., syndemics), which have not been examined within the context of exchange sex among HIV-positive MSM. In 2015, MSM were recruited via online sex…
Self-presentation, desired partner characteristics, and sexual behavior preferences in online personal advertisements of men seeking non-gay-identified men
Despite attention to the sexual behaviors of non-gay-identified (NGI) men who have same-sex encounters, virtually no research has focused on issues of partner desirability and selection. Limited evidence suggests that a subgroup of men who have sex with men (MSM) advertise online for sexual encounters with NGI men. Exchange theory provided a framework to investigate this seeking of NGI men, based on the content of Internet personal advertisements…
Age of Onset of Alcohol Consumption and Subsequent Negative Health Outcomes in Gay and Bisexual Men Who Have Sex With Men
The correlation between current alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) is well documented, but little is known about age of drinking onset and current risks among this population. Data from a 2008 Internet survey of 8,452 MSM in the United States were used to assess factors associated with age of onset of alcohol use. In a multivariable model, drinking onset before age 15 was significantly associated with a hi…
Recent anxiety symptoms and drug use associated with sexually transmitted infection diagnosis among an online US sample of men who have sex with men
The extent to which mental health problems, including current anxiety and depressive symptoms, may co-occur, or are associated, with the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections other than HIV remains largely unexplored among men who have sex with men. In a cross-sectional survey of 8,381 US men who have sex with men recruited from a sexual networking website, 15 percent reported a past 60-day sexually transmitted infection diagnosis. Among…
Why Video? How Technology Advances Method
This paper reports on the use of video to enhance qualitative research. Advances in technology have improved our ability to capture lived experiences through visual means. I reflect on my previous work with individuals living with HIV/AIDS, the results of which are described in another paper, to evaluate the effectiveness of video as a medium that not only collects data, but also produces knowledge. I have provided strategies for confronting spec…
The role of home in HIV/Aids: A visual approach to understanding human–environment interactions in the context of long-term illness
The role of home in HIV/Aids: A visual approach to understanding human–environment interactions in the context of long-term illness
Sexual Risk Behaviors With Female and Male Partners Met in Different Sexual Venues Among Non-Gay-Identified, Nondisclosing MSMW
Despite considerable interest in the sexual behavior of non-disclosing men who have sex with men and women (MSMW), little is known about where they meet their male and female partners and whether their sexual risk behavior differs with partners met in different sexual venues (e.g., bars, Internet, parks). These issues were examined among 46 non-gay-identified MSMW who had not disclosed their same-sex behavior to female partners (i.e., men on the …
Prevention case management improves socioeconomic standing and reduces symptoms of psychological and emotional distress among transgender women
Urban transgender women often experience several sociocultural co-factors which contribute to their risk of HIV infection. A transgender-specific HIV Prevention Case Management (PCM) intervention was implemented in a community HIV prevention setting and targeted reducing sex work and homelessness, increasing legal employment and income, and reducing psychological and emotional distress symptoms. Sixty high-risk transgender women were enrolled in …
Reaching and engaging non-gay identified, non-disclosing Black men who have sex with both men and women
Non-gay identified (NGI) Black men who have sex with both men and women (MSMW) and who use substances are at risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV to their partners. Homophobic community norms can discourage such men from disclosing their risk behaviour to female partners and others, including service providers. It is important to understand the dynamics of risk in this vulnerable population, but research is challenged by the men's need for secr…
Disclosure and concealment of sexual orientation and the mental health of non-gay-identified, behaviorally bisexual men.
OBJECTIVE: Although bisexual men report lower levels of mental health relative to gay men, few studies have examined the factors that contribute to bisexual men's mental health. Bisexual men are less likely to disclose, and more likely to conceal (i.e., a desire to hide), their sexual orientation than gay men. Theory suggests that this may adversely impact their mental health. This report examined the factors associated with disclosure and with c…
Socially-Integrated Transdisciplinary HIV Prevention
Sexual Venue Selection and Strategies for Concealment of Same-Sex Behavior Among Non-Disclosing Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women
In order to conceal their same-sex behavior, men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) who do not disclose their same-sex behavior to female partners must be cautious in their attempts to find potential male partners. This study interviewed 46 non-gay-identified, non-disclosing MSMW to identify the venues where they meet male sexual partners and the strategies they use to reduce the likelihood of discovery when at such venues. Most (74%) reporte…
Conceptions of privacy and the non-disclosure of same-sex behaviour by behaviourally-bisexual men in heterosexual relationships
Little attention has been paid to why some behaviourally-bisexual men (i.e., men who have sex with both men and women) choose not to disclose their same-sex behaviour. Using Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory, we report on the ways these men conceptualise their same-sex behaviour as private, and thus feel justified in not disclosing it to family, friends and female partners. In-depth interviews were conducted with an ethnically diverse…
Self-presentation, desired partner characteristics, and sexual behavior preferences in online personal advertisements of men seeking non-gay-identified men
Despite attention to the sexual behaviors of non-gay-identified (NGI) men who have same-sex encounters, virtually no research has focused on issues of partner desirability and selection. Limited evidence suggests that a subgroup of men who have sex with men (MSM) advertise online for sexual encounters with NGI men. Exchange theory provided a framework to investigate this seeking of NGI men, based on the content of Internet personal advertisements…
Sexually Explicit Media on the Internet: A Content Analysis of Sexual Behaviors, Risk, and Media Characteristics in Gay Male Adult Videos
Why Video? How Technology Advances Method
This paper reports on the use of video to enhance qualitative research. Advances in technology have improved our ability to capture lived experiences through visual means. I reflect on my previous work with individuals living with HIV/AIDS, the results of which are described in another paper, to evaluate the effectiveness of video as a medium that not only collects data, but also produces knowledge. I have provided strategies for confronting spec…
Drug Use, Sexual Risk, and Syndemic Production Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Who Engage in Group Sexual Encounters
Objectives. We surveyed men who have sex with men (MSM) to determine whether sexual risk behaviors, recent drug use, and other psychosocial problems differed between men who engaged in one-on-one and group sexual encounters. Methods. We conducted an Internet-based cross-sectional survey of 7158 MSM aged 18 years or older in the United States recruited from a gay-oriented sexual networking Web site in 2008. Among MSM who engaged in group sexual en…
Recent anxiety symptoms and drug use associated with sexually transmitted infection diagnosis among an online US sample of men who have sex with men
The extent to which mental health problems, including current anxiety and depressive symptoms, may co-occur, or are associated, with the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections other than HIV remains largely unexplored among men who have sex with men. In a cross-sectional survey of 8,381 US men who have sex with men recruited from a sexual networking website, 15 percent reported a past 60-day sexually transmitted infection diagnosis. Among…
If You Film It Will They Watch? Factors Associated with Willingness to View Safer Sex Messaging in Internet-Based Sexually Explicit Media
Sexually Explicit Media Use by Sexual Identity: A Comparative Analysis of Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Men in the United States
Sexual risk taking and the HIV care continuum in an online sample of men who have sex with men
Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) suppresses HIV replication, reducing the risk of transmission. However, many people living with HIV in the US are not virally suppressed even after diagnosis and initiating ART, and may become disengaged from care at each stage of the HIV care continuum (HCC). In the current study we assessed the sexual risk behaviors of MSM by HCC stage. US MSM who completed an online survey (N = 12,995) in 2015 were categorized into…
Reasons for Non-Disclosure of Sexual Orientation Among Behaviorally Bisexual Men: Non-Disclosure as Stigma Management
Characteristics and Correlates of Lifetime Suicidal Thoughts and Attempts Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) and Transgender Women
This study examined characteristics and correlates of lifetime suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts among HIV-negative young Black men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (transwomen) between 16 and 29 years of age ( N = 161). In our sample, 36.6% of young Black MSM and transwomen reported a history of lifetime suicidal thoughts, while 16.1% reported prior suicide attempts. Using multivariable analysis, a history of intimate partn…
Evaluation of Sex Positive! A Video eHealth Intervention for Men Living with HIV
Experiences of Stigma and Support Reported by Participants in a Network Intervention to Reduce HIV Transmission in Athens, Greece; Odessa, Ukraine; and Chicago, Illinois
Transactional Sex, Substance Use, and Sexual Risk: Comparing Pay Direction for an Internet-Based U.S. Sample of Men Who Have Sex with Men
Age of Onset of Alcohol Consumption and Subsequent Negative Health Outcomes in Gay and Bisexual Men Who Have Sex With Men
The correlation between current alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) is well documented, but little is known about age of drinking onset and current risks among this population. Data from a 2008 Internet survey of 8,452 MSM in the United States were used to assess factors associated with age of onset of alcohol use. In a multivariable model, drinking onset before age 15 was significantly associated with a hi…
A Syndemic Model of Exchange Sex Among HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men
Exchange sex is a behavior associated with HIV transmission risk among men who have sex with men (MSM). Few studies have examined exchange sex among HIV-positive MSM. We utilize a syndemic framework to account for co-occurring psychosocial problems that suggest the presence of intertwining epidemics (i.e., syndemics), which have not been examined within the context of exchange sex among HIV-positive MSM. In 2015, MSM were recruited via online sex…
Examining Cultural Competency and Sexual Abuse Training Needs among Service Providers Working with Black and Latino Sexual Minority Men
Black and Latino sexual minority men (SMM) with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may be reluctant to disclose such experiences or may appraise them as consensual because of cultural norms. Anticipated stigma, medical mistrust, and concerns that providers lack training in sexuality may complicate their efforts to obtain treatment for long-term health consequences of CSA. It is important to examine the training needs of service providers w…
Understanding Black and Latino sexual minority men’s perspectives on assessment of sexual history in diverse health care settings
Findings suggest that a trauma-informed approach to the assessment of sexual histories should consider that patients' current physical and mental states may be (in)directly linked to earlier, traumatic events and that intersecting identities (e.g., gender and race) could influence men's willingness to share their histories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
Psychology (24 works) · Medicine (22 works) · Social Psychology (15 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (14 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Demography (12 works) · Men who have sex with men (12 works) · Family medicine (11 works) · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV (11 works) · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy (11 works)