Recent biomedical and political advances in the treatment of HIV
have contributed to the realistic possibility for an end to the HIV epidemic (UNAIDS, 2014). Continued progress toward achieving an end to the epidemic will require concerted efforts and resource expenditures to address persistent health inequities that exist globally. HIV is a highly stigmatized disease that often affects marginalized peoples who historically have had limited access to social resources. Racial and ethnic minorities and gay and bisexual men are disproportionally affected by the HIV epidemic in the United States . The increased HIV burden among these groups necessitates a better understanding of what social resources are available to them and what effects these resources have on health outcomes. Efforts to address the challenges of persons living with HIV who are disenfranchised or marginalized require innovative approaches that integrate their daily context-specific challenges (2014). Understanding the relationships between social resources and health promoting or risk behaviors, and how key demographic variables influence social resources may help us develop targeted interventions with marginalized groups. Among all people, including people living with HIV, the achievement of optimal health
requires individual and collective resources. Individual and collective resources have been studied over the past several decades through studies of social resources social belonging/friendship , social capital , and social networks
. The purpose of this study was to describe associations between social belonging/friendship,
social networks, social capital, and the health promotion behaviors and quality of life of persons living with HIV.