PrEP, TasP and the casual sex scripts among serodiscordant gay men

Abstract

HIV-prevention strategies have produced a divide between serodiscordant gay men. Using Sexual Scripts Theory and interviews, we explore how pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is shaping gay men’s casual sex relationships among serodiscordant partners. Together with Treatment-as-Prevention, PrEP appears to be improving these relationships. Participants’ stories reveal that they are engaged in the fluctuating sexual landscapes formed by new prevention approaches, maintaining shared safe-sex scripts that foster risk-reduction, but modifying them to include reexamined fears and resulting barriers to sexual communication, opportunities and satisfaction and reevaluated ideas about appropriate partners. We discuss the health and service implications of these transforming scripts.

Keywords:

• Casual sex
• gay men
• pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
• sexual scripts
• Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP)

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The manuscript has not been published elsewhere and has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere.

Acknowledgment

The authors thank Eric Wright for his helpful comments on an early draft of this manuscript.