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Abstract
This mixed methods study used an explanatory sequential design to examine the relationship between attachment and sexual behaviour among young Black gay and bisexual men (YBGBM). Cross sectional online surveys and sex diaries were completed by a sample of YBGBM in New York City (n = 153) to assess the association between adult attachment insecurity and sexual risk behaviour. The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Revised (ECR-R) was used to assess three types of adult attachment (i.e., secure, anxious and avoidant). Participants reported condomless sex encounters, as well as serodiscordant condomless anal sex encounters, as measures of sexual risk. Quantitative findings suggested that there were few associations between attachment type and sexual risk behaviour; only men with attachment avoidance were likely to engage in condomless sex. However, qualitative findings illuminated some of the social complexities of the association between attachment in childhood, attachment in young adulthood and intimate partnerships, which could be linked to young adult sexual risk behaviour. The study findings highlight the need for researchers to further examine the process by which individual differences in attachment orientation are related to YBGBM’s sexual behaviour.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all of our research participants for contributing to this important work.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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Notes on contributors
Stephanie H. Cook
Dr Stephanie Cook is a Research Scientist at New York University in the College of Global Public Health. In her research she utilises theories and concepts from psychology to address issues of mental health, risk, and affective bond formation in populations of Black emerging and young adults—with a specific interest in emerging adult gay and bisexual men. More specifically, she is interested in understanding how individual differences in attachment functioning influences the health and development of ethnic minority youth. In addition, Dr Cook is the Principal Investigator and Director of the Attachment and Health Research Lab.
Daphne C. Watkins
Dr Daphne C. Watkins is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine. She studies the social determinants of health that explain within group differences among black men; evidence-based strategies to improve the physical and mental health of black men; and gender socialisation at the intersection of age, culture, and gender. In addition to her faculty appointments, Dr Watkins is the President of the American Men’s Studies Association and the director of the Gender and Health Research Lab at the University of Michigan.
Benjamin J. Calebs
Benjamin J. Calebs, B.A., is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Louisville. His previous research has focused on the intersections of attachment, minority stress, mental health, and culture. His current research focuses on the intersections of trauma and culture.
Patrick A. Wilson
Dr Patrick Wilson is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Director of the SPHERE (Society, Psychology, and Health Research) Lab at Columbia University. Dr Wilson conducts his work with the overall goal of improving the lives of those who are disproportionally affected by HIV and other health disparities. His recent work includes examining institutional and community responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, designing and testing culturally appropriate behaviour change interventions, developing novel technology-based methods for investigating health behaviors, and increasing cultural relevance in HIV/AIDS research.