Validation of an Extended Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Measure in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Cohort of People Living with or at Risk for HIV Infection
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Despite becoming a routine part of clinical care, collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) is not standardized, and common measures might not reflect the full range of LGBTQ+ experiences. In this study, we tested a novel expanded SOGI measure that addresses these concerns in a racially and ethnically diverse HIV cohort study. Participants (N = 885) were randomized to complete either a common SOGI measure with fewer SOGI choices or an expanded SOGI measure with more response options. We assessed the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic, comparing the common and expanded SOGI measures against a single LGBTQ+ identity question serving as the reference standard. We conducted the DeLong test to evaluate differences in the area under the curve between the common and expanded measures. The expanded measure had a sensitivity of 98.5% and a specificity of 81.2% for identifying LGBTQ+ participants. The common measure had a sensitivity of 99.2% and a specificity of 83.3%. The DeLong test yielded no statistically significant difference between these measures. This pattern persisted across most demographic groups, except for Black or African American participants, and participants in middle adulthood (41-60 years). There was no difference in participant discomfort in answering the questions in each measure. Collecting accurate SOGI information is crucial given persistent HIV-related healthcare disparities in LGBTQ+ populations.
Source: AIDS and Behavior
Institutions: University of California, San Francisco, Stanford Medicine, Stanford University, California State University, Fullerton, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB Medicine, University of Miami, Whitman-Walker Health, Case Western Reserve University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,590
Funders: Northwestern University, Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance, National Institutes of Health, University of California, San Francisco, Center for AIDS Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Aging, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
Awards: G1034546755, G1094301682, G1111999087, G1114015694, G111770573, G12089860, G1296759572, G1329112180, G1400602301, G1557182087, G1655989834, G175201345, G1787625665, G183157880, G1849940085, G1913134163, G192128497, G1949868427, G1972383081, G2008237588, G2127051194, G2255252254, G2262636591, G2334180555, G2435036225, G2438982044, G248584506, G2542587862, G255204022, G2642216352, G2684128596, G2755707676, G2759654445, G2840405583, G2853520679, G2908277772, G3001095189, G30074556, G3102910958, G311558797, G319781266, G3242306066, G3630727822, G3667425667, G3671922257, G3869857964, G3942807564, G3956983717, G4016133911, G4044828089, G409006598, G4361283536, G4378623705, G4535678174, G456742281, G4584981698, G4608090399, G474620922, G4763761376, G4844376359, G4873872912, G4953964255, G5078796989, G5125485954, G5147848267, G5188741120, G521591464, G5227669099, G5249024608, G5431849782, G5512195800, G5525419549, G562934659, G5655542889, G5660189159, G5691055145, G5699974340, G5704690338, G5747858550, G5817808917, G5863844756, G5900455136, G6068496172, G6332088644, G6383102538, G6384504179, G6388809972, G6396423216, G6509896931, G6533371250, G6717347887, G6745172908, G6759032351, G6809319421, G693265041, G6990385686, G7001360886, G7152846654, G7274610774, G7454986501, G7479905529, G7627181020, G7675799075, G775892330, G7760075911, G7807729167, Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, G7962891751, G8448522485, G8974083815, UNC MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study Clinical Research Site, Surviving the HIV Epidemic (S/HE) in metropolitan Washington DC - Advancing knowledge through cohort studies, Clinical Research Sites for the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MACS/WIHS-CCS) - Baltimore/Wash DC Center, Clinical Research Sites for the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MACS/WIHS-CCS), UAB Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), G91774131, G929137571
OpenAlex ID: W7203712807