Motivating the Unmotivated: A Treatment Model for Barebackers

SUMMARY

Documented increases in sexual risk practices among gay and bisexual men and subsequent increases in HIV infection rates may be attributable, in part, to barebacking. Current HIV prevention efforts fail to meet the needs of diverse gay and bisexual men and do not focus on harm-reduction techniques currently used by such men. Motivational Interviewing (MI), an intervention approach with demonstrated effectiveness across a wide variety of behaviors, may be useful for working with men who bareback. The general principles and strategies of MI are presented with examples of the application of this model to barebacking.

KEYWORDS:

• AIDS
• anal sex
• barebacking
• bisexual men
• harm reduction
• HIV
• homosexuality
• intervention
• gay men
• MSM
• motivational interviewing
• risk reduction