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Early Male Partnership Patterns, Social Support, and Sexual Risk Behavior Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men

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Abstract

Few data exist on the early sexual behavior patterns of contemporary young men who have sex with men (YMSM), the social context of these patterns, and which of these factors influence risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). We enrolled 94 YMSM (age 16–30) into a 1-year cohort study with serial online retrospective surveys and HIV/STI testing. The first three partnerships of YMSM were characterized by relatively high rates of unprotected anal sex and a rapidly expanding sexual repertoire, but also increasing rates of HIV status disclosure. During follow-up, 17 % of YMSM reported any nonconcordant unprotected anal intercourse (NCUAI) and 15 % were newly diagnosed with HIV/STI. Sex education in high school and current maternal support were protective against HIV/STI, while isolation from family and friends was associated with recent NCUAI. Social support—including from parents, peers, and school-based sex education—may help mitigate HIV/STI risk in this population.

Resumen

Existe poca información sobre los patrones de conducta sexual temprana de hombres jóvenes que tienen sexo con hombres (HJSH), el contexto social de estos patrones y los factores que influencian el riesgo de VIH y otras infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS). 94 HJSH (16 a 30 años de edad) participaron en un estudio de cohorte de un año que incluyó una serie de cuestionarios retrospectivos online y pruebas de VIH/ITS. Las primeras tres relaciones de los HSJH se caracterizaron por tasas relativamente altas de relaciones sexuales anales sin protección y rápido crecimiento del repertorio sexual, así como por tasas cada vez más altas de revelación del estatus de VIH. Durante el seguimiento, 17 % de los HJSH reportaron sexo anal sin protección con parejas sero-discordantes y 15 % fueron diagnosticados con VIH/ITS. La educación sexual en la escuela secundaria y el apoyo materno actual fueron factores de protección contra VIH/ITS, mientras el aislamiento de la familia y amigos se asoció con reportes recientes de sexo anal sin protección con parejas sero-discordantes. El apoyo social –de los padres, pares y programas escolares de educación sexual- puede ayudar a mitigar el riesgo de VIH/ITS en esta población.

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Acknowledgments

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R03 AI074359) and the Royalty Research Fund at the University of Washington. S.N.G. was supported by the University of Washington STD/AIDS Research Training Program from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service (T32 AI007140) and the District of Columbia Developmental Center for AIDS Research (P30 AI087714).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The George Washington University, 2100-W Pennsylvania Ave NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC, 20037, USA

    Sara Nelson Glick

  2. HIV/STD Program, Public Health – Seattle & King County, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Matthew R. Golden

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  1. Sara Nelson Glick
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Correspondence to Sara Nelson Glick.

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Glick, S.N., Golden, M.R. Early Male Partnership Patterns, Social Support, and Sexual Risk Behavior Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Behav 18, 1466–1475 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0678-7

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