Sexual risk taking in smaller cities: The case of buffalo, New York

Sexual risk taking for HIV infection was measured for 487 gay men in Buffalo, New York. High levels of sexual risk taking, including unprotected anal and vaginal sex, were reported in comparison to other homosexual populations. Sexual risk takers were found to be more sexually opportunistic, less able to use social skills to reduce their risk of AIDS, and more likely to frequent gay bars than those who were less risky in their sexual behaviors. Respondents were found to be ambivalent in their feelings about condom use and inconsistent in their behavior. We conclude by suggesting that community environment may be a critical factor affecting AIDS‐related behaviors and that findings from studies of gay men in the original AIDS epicenters cannot be generalized to all gay men.