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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2006.096123v1 AJPH.2006.096123v2 98/6/1068    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Marks, S. M. Articles by Guilin, V. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Marks, S. M. Articles by Guilin, V.

Suzanne M. Marks, MPH, MA, Chris Murrill, PhD, MPH, Travis Sanchez, DVM, MPH, Kai-lih Liu, PhD, MPH, Teresa Finlayson, MPH, MA and Vincent Guilin, BA

Suzanne M. Marks, Travis Sanchez, and Teresa Finlayson are with the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination and Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. At the time of the study, Chris Murrill and Kai-lih Liu were with the City of New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY. At the time of the study, Vincent Guilin was with the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, New York, NY.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Suzanne M. Marks, CDC/NCHSTP/DTBE/CHSRB, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop E-10, Atlanta, GA 30333 (e-mail: smarks{at}cdc.gov).

Objectives. We sought to describe the history of tuberculosis disease and tuberculin skin testing among the New York City House Ballroom community—a social network of diverse sexual and gender identities or expressions.

Methods. Members of the House Ballroom community were convenience sampled, surveyed, and tested for HIV in 2004. We identified characteristics associated with history of tuberculosis, tuberculin skin testing, and test positivity and described the timing of skin testing.

Results. Of 504 participants, 1.4% (n=7) reported a history of tuberculosis and 81.1% (n=404 of 498) had received a tuberculin skin test. Of those tested, 16 (4%) had positive results, which indicated latent infection, and 68% had received a test in the 2 years prior to the survey. Participants with health insurance were more likely and those with little education were less likely to have received a skin test. HIV-infected participants (16%) were not more likely to have received a tuberculin skin test compared with non-HIV-infected individuals. Foreign-born participants and self-identified heterosexuals and bisexuals were more likely to have had positive skin tests.

Conclusions. Self-reported history of tuberculosis was high among the House Ballroom community. Although many community members had a recent skin test, further efforts should target services to those who are HIV infected, have low education, lack health insurance, or are foreign born.