Black LGBTQ+ men face a range of adverse health effects due to police discrimination and abuse, according to a new study from Rutgers University, Morehouse School of Medicine and other institutions. 

The study, which involved a survey of 1,172 Black, gay, bisexual and other sexual minority men over the age of 16 in the United States, was sponsored by the National Institute of Health and published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

Devin English, assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and lead author for the study, said in a media release that researchers found police discrimination and imprisonment may be linked to higher rates of HIV and mental health issues among Black gay, bisexual and other sexual minority men.

“Evidence suggests Black sexual minority men in the United States may face some of the highest rates of policing and incarceration in the world. Despite this, research examining the health impacts of the U.S. carceral system rarely focuses on their experiences. This study helps to address this gap,” English said.

“We examined how incarceration and police discrimination, which have roots in enforcing White supremacy and societal heterosexism, are associated with some of the most pressing health crises among Black sexual minority men like depression, anxiety, and HIV,” English noted.

The study looked at potential connections between Black sexual minority men’s psychological distress, their risk for HIV and their willingness to take PrEP, a drug used to prevent the spread of HIV. The participants spoke about their experiences with police and their mental health history for the study.

Police discrimination was extremely common in the group, with 43% of the men surveyed saying they had bad experiences with officers within the last year. According to the study, the numbers were even higher for those who had previously been incarcerated. 

“These findings transcend individual-level only explanations to offer structural-level insights about how we think about Black sexual minority men’s HIV risk. The study rightly directs attention to the structural intersectional discrimination that negatively affects Black sexual minority men’s health,” co-author Lisa Bowleg, professor of psychology at the George Washington University, said in a statement.

There have been dozens of studies illustrating the damaging effects that incarceration and overpolicing have on Black men, but few studies have focused exclusively on Black LGBTQ+ men.


The study notes that there is little research examining "how these stressors may drive HIV and psychological health inequities among these men."

"Findings suggest police discrimination may be a mechanism of mass incarceration and fundamental driver of health inequities among Black sexual minority men," the study concludes. 

The study found distinct ties between negative interactions with police, depression, anxiety and HIV contraction.

“Despite experiencing a disproportionate burden of violence and discrimination at the hands of the police, and extremely high carceral rates, Black queer men are largely invisible in discourse on anti-Black policing and incarceration. Our study provides empirical support for the intersectional health impacts of police and carceral discrimination that have been systemically perpetrated onto Black queer men,” said Joseph Carter, a study co-author and doctoral student at City University of New York’s Graduate Center.