Psychosocial characteristics and sexual risk behavior of HIV+ men who have anonymous sex partners

Abstract

There is a paucity of studies that characterize sexual risk behavior that occurs between anonymous sex partners. The purpose of this study was to compare the sexual risk behaviors, and psychosocial characteristics of 156 HIV+ gay and bisexual men who had anonymous partners and 161 counterparts who reported no anonymous sex partners. Rates of unprotected anal and oral sex with anonymous partners were high, and rates of serostatus disclosure were low. Men with anonymous partners had five times as many HIV-negative or unknown serostatus partners as compared to men with no anonymous partners. A logistic regression revealed that living alone, greater use of illicit drugs, and lower scores on self-efficacy for disclosure of serostatus distinguished between men who had anonymous partners and those who did not have anonymous partners. The clinical application of our findings is discussed in terms of modification of these factors through motivational interviewing and social cognitive theory.

Keywords:

• Anonymous partners
• Sexual behavior
• Gay/bisexual
• Social cognitive theory
• Motivational interviewing

Acknowledgments

Support for this work was provided, in part, by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grant 5 R01 MH56264 (Brief Targeted Behavior Intervention for HIV+ Persons), National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) R01 DA12116 (Promoting Safer Sex in HIV+ MSM Methamphetamine Users), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grant 1 RO1 MH61146 (HIV/STD Risk Reduction and Maintenance in At-Risk-People), NIMH Center grant 2 P5) MH45294 (HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center), and the Department of Veterans Affairs.