Abstract
Our objective was to investigate sexualcommunication and risk-taking behaviors among young menwho have sex with men (MSM). MSM aged 17 to 25 yearswere recruited from four areas throughout California. The construct Safer Sex Communication, assessedthrough principal-components analysis, was defined asperceived efficacy or experience in minimizing the riskof sexual HIV infection through communication with partners. In the 6 months prior to thesurvey, 35.6% of the MSM had participated in unprotectedanal intercourse (UAI). Adjusted logistic regressionanalyses found low Safer Sex Communication to be predictive of UAI. In addition, negativeattitudes toward safe sex, high perceived risk of HIVinfection, 10 or more male sex partners during theprevious 6 months, and use of cocaine in the past 6months were also independently related to UAI. SaferSex Communication skills should be an outcome ofinterventions designed to prevent HIV transmission amongyoung MSM.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1996). HIV/AIDS Surveill. Rep. 8: 1–39.
Dean, L., and Meyer, I. (1995). HIV prevalence and sexual behavior in a cohort of New York City gay men (aged 18- 24). J. Acquir. Immune. Defic. Syndr. 8: 208–211.
de Wit, J. B. F., and van Griensven, G. J. P. (1994). Time from safer to unsafe sexual behaviour among homosexual men. AIDS 8: 123–126.
de Wit, J. B. F., van Griensven, G. J. P., Kok, G., and Sandfort, T. G. M. (1993). Why do homosexual men relapse into unsafe sex? Predictors of resumption of unprotected anogenital intercourse with casual partners. AIDS 7: 1113–1118.
DiClemente, R. J. (1991). Predictors of HIV-preventive sexual behavior in a high-risk adolescent population: The influence of perceived norms and sexual communication on incarcerated adolescents' consistent use of condoms. J. Adolesc. Health 12: 385–390.
Ekstrand, M. L., and Coates, T. J. (1990). Maintenance of safer sexual behaviors and predictors of risky sex: The San Francisco Men' Health Study. Am. J. Public Health 80: 973–977.
Flowers, J. V., Miller, T. E., Smith, N., and Booraem, C. D. (1994). The repeatability of a singlesession group to promote safe sex behavior in social work with groups. Res. Social Work Pract. 4: 240–247.
Gold, R. S., and Skinner, M. J. (1992). Situational factors and thought processes associated with unprotected intercourse in young gay men. AIDS 6: 1021–1030.
Hays, R. B., Kegeles, S. M., and Coates, T. J. (1990). High HIV risk-taking among young gay men.AIDS 4: 901–907.
Hays, R. B., Paul, J., Ekstrand, M., Kegeles, S. M., Stall, R., and Coates, T. J. (1997). Actual versus perceived HIV status, sexual behaviors and predictors of unprotected sex among young gay and bisexual men who identify as HIV-negative, HIV-positive and untested. AIDS 11: 1495–1502.
Hosmer, D. W., and Lemeshow, S. (1989). Applied Logistic Regression, John Wiley and Sons, New York.
Kaiser, H. F. (1960). The application of electronic computers to factor analysis. Educ. Psychol.Measure. 20: 141–151.
Kegeles, S. M., Hays, R. B., and Coates, T. J. (1996). The Mpowerment project: A community-level HIV prevention intervention for young gay men. Am. J. Public Health 86: 1129–1136.
Kelly, J. A., St. Lawrence, J. S., Brasfield, T. L., Lemke, A., Amidei, T., Roffman, R. E., Hood, H. V., Smith, J. E., Kilgore, H., and McNeill, C., Jr. (1990). Psychological factors that predict AIDS high-risk versus AIDS precautionary behavior. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 58: 117–120.
Kelly, J. A., Sikkema, K. J., Winett, R. A., Solomon, L. J., Roffman, R. A., Heckman, T. G., Stevenson, L. Y., Perry, M. J., Norman, A. D., and Desiderato, L. J. (1995). Factors predicting continued high-risk behavior among gay men in small cities: Psychological, behavioral, and demographic characteristics related to unsafe sex. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 63: 101–107.
Klosinski, L. E. (1996). Crystal crisis. Posit. Living Oct.: 1, 12, 14.
Lemp, G. F., Hirozawa, A. M., Givertz, D., Nieri, G. N., Anderson, L., Lindegren, M. L., Janssen, R. S., and Katz, M. (1994). Seroprevalence of HIV and risk behaviors among young homosexual and bisexual men. JAMA 272: 449–454.
Lifson, A. R., Hessol, N. A., and Rutherford, G. W. (1992). Progression and clinical outcome of infection due to human immunodeficiency virus. Clin. Infect. Dis. 14: 966–972.
McKusick, L., Coates, T. J., Morin, S. F., Pollack, L., and Hoff, C. (1990). Longitudinal predictors of reductions in unprotected anal intercourse among gay men in San Francisco: The AIDS behavioral research project. Am. J. Public Health 80: 978–983.
Osmond, D. H., Page, K., Wiley, J., Garrett, K., Sheppard, H. W., Moss, A. R., Schrager, L., and Winkelstein, W. (1994). HIV infection in homosexual and bisexual men 18 to 29 years of age: The San Francisco Young Men' Health Study. Am. J. Public Health 84: 1933–1937.
Remafedi, G. (1994). Predictors of unprotected intercourse among gay and bisexual youth: Knowledge, beliefs, and behavior. Pediatrics 94: 163–168.
Rickman, R. L., Lodico, M., DiClemente, R. J., Morris, R., Baker, C., and Huscroft, S. (1994). Sexual communication is associated with condom use by sexually active incarcerated adolescents.J. Adolesc. Health 15: 383–388.
Ross, M. W. (1988). Personality factors that differentiate homosexual men with positive and negative attitudes toward condom use. N.Y. State J. Med. 88: 626–628.
Ruiz, J., Facer, M., and Sun, R. K. (1998). Risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus infection and unprotected anal intercourse among young men who have sex with men. Sex. Transm. Dis. 25: 101–107.
Samuel, M. C., Hessol, N., Shiboski, S., Engel, R. R., Speed, T. P., and Winkelstein, W., Jr. (1993).Factors associated with human immunodeficiency virus seroconversion in homosexual men in three San Francisco cohort studies, 1984- 1989. J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. 6: 303–312.
Seage, G. R., III, Mayer, K. H., Lenderking, W. R., Wold, C., Gross, M., Goldstein, R., Cai, B., Heeren, T., Hingson, R., and Holmberg, S. (1997). HIV and hepatitis B infection and risk behavior in young gay and bisexual men. Public Health Rep. 112: 158–167.
Sheahan, S. L., Coons, S. J., Seabolt, J. P., Churchill, L., and Dale, T. (1994). Sexual behavior, communication, and chlamydial infections among college women. Health Care Women Int. 15: 275–286.
Stall, R., Barrett, D., Bye, L., Catania, J., Frutchey, C., Henne, J., Lemp, G., and Paul, J. (1992).A comparison of younger and older gay men' HIV risk-taking behaviors: The Communication Technologies 1989 cross-sectional survey. J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. 5: 682–687.
Stevens, J. (1986). Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Molitor, F., Facer, M. & Ruiz, J.D. Safer Sex Communication and Unsafe Sexual Behavior Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men in California. Arch Sex Behav 28, 335–343 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018748729070
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018748729070