McKirnan D, Stokes J, Vanable P, Burzette R, Doll L; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1993 Jun 6-11; 9: 819 (abstract no. PO-D07-3607).

Univ. of Illinois, Chicago.

OBJECTIVES. This study tested two hypotheses: 1) bisexually active men are less at risk for unsafe sex with men insofar as they identify with a gay community and its associated safer sex norms, and 2) the variables that underlie unsafe sex differ for bisexual men with high vs. low gay identification. METHODS. Data are from anonymous interviews with 403 bisexually active men recruited through print ads (29%), outreach (52%), and snowball sampling (19%). Gay identification represented perceived closeness to and positive attitudes toward the gay community. Sexual Risk was defined as unprotected anal sex in the previous 6 months. There were three sets of predictors: 1) substance use generally and in sexual contexts; 2) sexual attitudes (orientation toward male partners, "outness" as bisexual, self-homophobia: alpha s = .67 to .89), and; 3) frequenting gay settings to meet sexual partners. GAY IDENTIFICATION AND SEXUAL RISK. Gay identification was not directly related to the likelihood of unprotected anal sex, within either the complete sample or a subsample (71%, n = 331) reporting at least some anal sex in the previous 6 months (chi 2s < .5). GAY IDENTIFICATION AND OTHER RISK PREDICTORS. Discriminant analyses indicated that for men with high gay-identification sexual risk was related to substance use (chi 2[5] = 12.4, p < .03), particularly popper use in sexual contexts and overall alcohol use. In contrast, among bisexuals with low gay-identification greater sexual risk was related to: 1) sexual attitudes, particularly being more oriented toward male than female sexual partners and being more "out" as bisexual (chi 2[4] = 20, p < .005), and; 2) rates of frequenting gay settings (chi 2[3] = 9.5, p < .03). CONCLUSIONS. For these bisexual men simple identification with a gay community was not protective regarding sexual risk. Rather, the larger psychosocial pattern of sexual risk differed among men with high versus low gay-identification. High gay-identified men appeared to have internalized safer sex norms, and were risky when other factors, such as substance use, interfered with those norms. Low gay-identified men appeared more risky as they simply had more gay contact, suggesting a relative lack of norms. Bisexual men may have different subgroups, wherein general patterns of sexual risk, and of appropriate prevention activity, differ according to their level of gay identification.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Bisexuality
• Female
• Homosexuality
• Homosexuality, Male
• Humans
• Identification (Psychology)
• Interviews as Topic
• Male
• Safe Sex
• Sexual Behavior
• Sexual Partners
• Substance-Related Disorders
• Unsafe Sex

Other ID:

• 93337531

UI: 102206910

From Meeting Abstracts