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Gaston L, Dixon L. Calling All Mares: Community, Identity, and Group Sex at the San Francisco Horse Market. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023:1-8. [PMID: 37506316 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2236088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, masculinity and sexuality are explored from the perspective of gay men who participate in group-based sexual practices. The work contributes to the limited wider academic inquiry into collective sex environments. This is accomplished through a content analysis of 15 publicly accessible testimonials of men who have attended a group sex event called a "Horse Market" in the USA. The key findings reveal that participants experience a sense of enhanced community identity and unity through engaging in group sex that allows them the freedom to explore sexual boundaries in a way that is permitted, paradoxically, by occurring within an environment that is simultaneously highly regulated and controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Dixon
- Events Management, Liverpool John Moores University
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2
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Meunier É, Sauermilch D. Collective Sex and Committed Relationships: A Qualitative Exploration of Relationship Desires Among Gay Men Who Attend Sex Clubs. JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2023; 70:519-541. [PMID: 34678136 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2021.1993662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Studies have documented gay men's engagement in collective sex (e.g., group sex in public or commercial environments) but little attention has been paid to these men's relationship desires or agreements. We report on qualitative interviews with 20 gay men who attended private sex clubs in New York City, asking how participants navigated sometimes conflicting desires for collective sex and committed relationships. Participants felt that collective sex was either a) incompatible with relationships, which should be monogamous; b) complementary to a primary non-monogamous relationship; or c) at least as important as relationships. Gay men attending sex clubs attribute different value to collective sex and to committed relationships, and experience different challenges in satisfying their desires for intimacy. Resources could help gay men navigating these apparently conflicting desires and making suitable choices regarding their relationships and/or sexual agreements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Étienne Meunier
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Sauermilch
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Long Island University Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York, USA
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3
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Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals' Interest in Sexual Health Services at Collective Sex Venues in New York City. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:761-771. [PMID: 35930201 PMCID: PMC9362401 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03808-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Sexual and gender minority individuals who attend collective sex venues (CSVs; establishments where people can have sex in groups or the presence of others) are at elevated risk for HIV and STIs. On-site sexual health interventions have been attempted at CSVs, but attendees' interest in receiving such services is under-investigated. This paper presents results from a 2020 online cross-sectional survey completed by 342 sexual and gender minority individuals who attended CSVs in New York City. Interest in services such as on-site testing for STIs, testing vans near CSVs, and informational referrals was overall high, particularly among younger participants. Among participants who reported being HIV negative, those of younger age and those who were not using PrEP reported being more likely to take an HIV test if it would be offered at CSVs. In open-text survey responses, participants expressed interest in CSVs providing free prevention services such as HIV/STI testing, PEP, PrEP, and STI medications or vaccination, as well as in ways to improve norms surrounding condom use and consent at these venues. Some participants expressed barriers to on-site services such as privacy concerns, preexisting access to health services, an emphasis on personal responsibility, and negative reactions to the presence of service providers. However, some participants also felt that these services could be delivered in a positive, acceptable, and non-judgmental way, especially by involving CSV organizers and attendees in their implementation. Findings from this study can inform future initiatives to develop sexual health interventions at CSVs.
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4
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Meunier É, Alohan D, Tellone S, Silvera R, Cohall A, Baran A, Wakefield M, Grov C, Fisher CB. Attitudes Toward Peer-Delivered Sexual-Health Services Among New York City Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals Who Have Sex with Men and Attend Collective Sex Venues. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2022; 32:1167-1184. [PMID: 35584703 PMCID: PMC9253071 DOI: 10.1177/10497323221101714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Collective sex venues such as sex clubs are strategic sites to promote sexual health among sexual and gender minority individuals. We present qualitative findings from a multiple-method study on the acceptability of sexual-health services at collective sex venues in New York City (NYC) among attendees who identified as men, transgender, or gender non-conforming. In a survey used for sample selection (n = 342), most respondents (82.7%) agreed that "having outreach workers at sex venues is a good thing." Interviewees (n = 30) appreciated how on-site services could promote sexual health in their community. They felt peer workers should be familiar with collective sex venues and share demographic characteristics with attendees. Some participants felt workers should keep some boundaries from attendees, while others felt they could be fully integrated in the environment, suggesting that either peer outreach or popular-opinion leader types of interventions could be feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Étienne Meunier
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
| | - Daniel Alohan
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Stephen Tellone
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
- ProHealth, New York, NY
| | - Richard Silvera
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
| | - Alwyn Cohall
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
| | | | | | - Christian Grov
- Department of Community Health and Social Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, New York NY
| | - Celia B. Fisher
- Center for Ethics Education and Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY
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5
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Holmes D, Hammond C, Orser L, Nguyen H. Assembling bodies-without-organs: A poststructuralist analysis of group sex between men. Nurs Philos 2021; 23:e12374. [PMID: 34729896 DOI: 10.1111/nup.12374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Group sex among men who have sex with men may be understood as a 'radical' practice insofar as it transgresses dominant social discourses around appropriate sexual relations-prioritizing heteronormative, monogamous and risk-averse sex. These practices are generally defined as steeped in risk, most commonly due to the potential for transmitting human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted infections and accompanied by the possibility of legal and social repercussions. Our ethnographic research study explored the desires, practices and contexts of group sex participants (n = 10) within a popular group sex party destination located in the United States. We employ a poststructuralist perspective (utilizing the work of Deleuze and Guattari) to understand group sex events with the pretext that bodies have no inherent ethics, meaning or essence: they are 'bodies without organs'. We identify group sex as a form of boundary play, in which participants pursue new limits to what their bodies can do but within a carefully constructed environment that establishes norms of interaction meant to secure trust and safety between participants. A variety of risk reduction practices are shown to be promoted and honoured within these eventful sexual(ized) spaces. The application of poststructuralist concepts of 'boundary play' and 'bodies without organs' helped to depict the construction and navigation of pleasure, safety and risk among group sex participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave Holmes
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chad Hammond
- College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Lauren Orser
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Huy Nguyen
- Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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Ashford C, Longstaff G. (Re)regulating gay sex in viral times: COVID-19 and the impersonal intimacy of the glory hole. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2021; 23:1559-1572. [PMID: 34236275 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2021.1930173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has transformed the way we live our lives, and sex has been a significant element of that transformation. Gay male sex in the UK has faced the most significant (re)criminalisation and (re)regulation in living memory with intimacy outside of the heteronormative framework of domestic coupledom at best discouraged and, at worst, made into a criminal offence. This criminalisation provides a temporal praxis in which gay men experience sex in the shadows once more, an echo of a historic legal and cultural regulation of desire. This history also provides a space for experiencing forms of impersonal intimacy and queer desire in a way that is arguably well-suited for viral times, namely the glory hole. These historic partitions and apertures - connecting gay men across legal and cultural boundaries of desire and affirmed through modes of anonymous and promiscuous sex - may once again provide a queer way to experience intimacy as impersonal. This article explores this potential and situates the glory hole as a cultural and legal site of this tension between the intimate and the impersonal, as well as considering how it is being recast as commercial artefact and performance space during these viral times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Ashford
- Faculty of Business and Law, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gareth Longstaff
- Media, Culture, Heritage, School of Arts and Cultures, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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7
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Meunier É, Sundelson AE, Tellone S, Alohan D, Fisher CB, Grov C. Willingness to Attend Sex Venues in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City: Results from an Online Survey with Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals. J Urban Health 2021; 98:469-480. [PMID: 33948781 PMCID: PMC8095220 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-021-00539-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/30/2022]
Abstract
Collective sex venues (places where people have sex in groups or in the presence of others, such as bathhouses or sex clubs) are locations where SARS-CoV-2 transmission is likely to occur. We conducted an online survey to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among 342 sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals who had attended collective sex venues (CSV) in New York City (NYC) in the prior year. Almost 1 in 10 (9.9%) participants reported having received a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 infection or antibodies. Although a minority (27.5%) of participants reported being comfortable attending a CSV during the COVID-19 pandemic, multivariable ordinal logistic regression found that willingness was higher among participants who had taken the survey later in the pandemic (aOR = 2.90, CI95% 1.90 to 4.43), who attended CSV at higher frequencies (aOR = 1.94, CI95% 1.26 to 2.99), who used substances at CSV (aOR = 1.98, CI95% 1.22 to 3.23), and who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection or antibodies (aOR = 2.27, CI95% 1.17 to 4.39). In open survey answers, participants described reasons for or against attending CSV during the pandemic, as well as risk reduction strategies that would make them more comfortable attending (e.g., screening for test results, doing temperature checks, holding outdoor events, or restricting events to lower risk sexual practices). SGM individuals who attend CSV might be at increased risk for COVID-19. Public health officials should provide CSV organizers and attendees with guidelines on how to prevent or minimize transmission risk in the context of pandemics such as COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Étienne Meunier
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street 9th Fl., New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Anne E Sundelson
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street 9th Fl., New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Stephen Tellone
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street 9th Fl., New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Daniel Alohan
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street 9th Fl., New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Celia B Fisher
- Center for Ethics Education and Department of Psychology, Fordham University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christian Grov
- Department of Community Health and Social Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
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Knox J, Boyd A, Matser A, Heijman T, Sandfort T, Davidovich U. Types of Group Sex and Their Association with Different Sexual Risk Behaviors Among HIV-Negative Men Who Have Sex with Men. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2020; 49:1995-2003. [PMID: 32500245 PMCID: PMC7321909 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-020-01744-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The current study sought to identify types of group sex acts among HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) and assess their association with different sexual risk behaviors using cross-sectional data of group sex acts reported during 6 waves (2015-2018) of the Amsterdam MSM Cohort Study. Latent class analysis was performed to identify group sex types based on size, familiarity with partners, location, planning, and drug use. Associations between group sex types and sexual behaviors were evaluated using logistic regression with generalized estimating equations, employing the sample mean as a reference. Data at the level of group sex acts were analyzed, while correcting variance estimations for repeated measurements within MSM. A total of 392 MSM engaged in group sex ≥ 1 times, totaling 1033 group sex acts. Four types of group sex emerged: familiar (29%), intimate (27%), impromptu (36%), and party (8%). Familiar group sex (characterized by high proportions of mostly known partners, occurring in private places and involving drug use) had an increased adjusted odds of risky fingering (aOR 1.6, 95%CI 1.3-2.0) and of risky fisting and/or use of sex toys (aOR 2.3, 95%CI 1.6-3.1). Intimate group sex (characterized by high proportions of threesomes, occurring in private places, and not involving drug use) had a decreased adjusted odds of risky fisting and/or use of sex toys (aOR 0.6, 95%CI 0.4-0.9). Impromptu group sex (characterized by high proportions of spontaneity, mostly unknown partners, and taking place in public places) had a decreased adjusted odds of risky fisting and/or use of sex toys (aOR 0.5, 95%CI 0.3-0.7) and of condomless anal intercourse (CAI) (OR 0.6, 95%CI 0.5-0.8). Party group sex (characterized by high proportions of larger groups, mostly unknown partners, and being planned) had an increased adjusted odds of risky fisting and/or use of sex toys (aOR 1.6, 95%CI 1.0-2.7) and of CAI (aOR 1.5, 95%CI 1.1-2.1). The identified types of group sex reflect different dynamics and characteristics, with some types riskier for STIs and others riskier for HIV. HIV and STI prevention efforts could be tailored accordingly. For example, in certain type of public sex environments (e.g., cruising parks), traditional HIV and STI prevention efforts, such as promoting of condom use and PrEP, might be sufficient. However, in other settings (e.g., private parties), where group sex is more likely to be planned and where behaviors such as fisting, sharing of sex toys, and CAI are more likely to take place, which carry different levels of risk for HIV and STI transmission, including that of Hepatitis C, different approaches might be needed, such as broader HIV and STI prevention education efforts or targeting the organizers of group sex events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Knox
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Anders Boyd
- Department of Infectious Diseases Research and Prevention, Public Health Service Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Stichting HIV Monitoring, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amy Matser
- Department of Infectious Diseases Research and Prevention, Public Health Service Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Titia Heijman
- Department of Infectious Diseases Research and Prevention, Public Health Service Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, STI Outpatient Clinic, Public Health Service Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Theo Sandfort
- HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Udi Davidovich
- Department of Infectious Diseases Research and Prevention, Public Health Service Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Violette LR, Niemann LA, McMahan VM, Katz DA, Chavez PR, Clark HA, Cornelius-Hudson A, Ethridge SF, McDougal SJ, Ure Ii G, Stekler JD, Delaney KP. Group Sex Events Among Cisgender Men Who Have Sex With Men: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Survey Study to Explore Participation and Risk-Taking Behaviors. JMIR Res Protoc 2019; 8:e15426. [PMID: 31774403 PMCID: PMC6906620 DOI: 10.2196/15426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Group sex events (GSEs) are common among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM), pose a unique risk profile for HIV and sexually transmitted disease (STD) transmission, and may be on the rise, in part because of Web-based networking platforms. However, collecting data on GSEs can be challenging, and many gaps exist in our knowledge about GSE participation among MSM. Objective The objective of this study was to develop survey questions addressing aggregate and partner-specific group sex behaviors to measure prevalence of GSEs and associated risks in persons participating in Project Diagnostic Evaluation To Expand Critical Testing Technologies (DETECT), including MSM seeking HIV and STD testing at a public clinic in Seattle, Washington. Methods We developed a computer self-assisted survey that included questions about participant demographics, sexual history, and risk behaviors, including group sex, as a part of Project DETECT, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–funded study evaluating point-of-care HIV tests. Aggregate and partner-specific questions asked about participation in all GSEs, threesomes, and four-or-more-somes including questions about number and HIV status of sex partners and condom use during the events. To evaluate question performance, we assessed the discrepancies in reporting between the aggregate and partner-specific questions, quantified question refusal rates, and calculated the additional time required to answer the GSE questions. Information about network density (number of partnerships of overlapping duration) was estimated and compared for MSM who did and did not report GSEs. Results Among 841 visits by 690 MSM who were asked any group sex survey question, participation in a GSE of any type in the past 3 months was reported at 293 visits (293/841, 34.8%). We found that 9.0% (76/841) of MSM in the sample reported ≥1 four-or-more-some in the partner-specific questions but did not report in the aggregate. The proportion of refusals on any given aggregate GSE-related question ranged from 0% (0/273) to 10.6% (15/141) (median 2.6%) and partner-specific questions ranged from 0% (0/143) to 22% (5/23) (median 3.0%), with questions about four-or-more-somes having the highest proportions of refusals. Completing the aggregate group sex questions added 1 to 2 minutes and the partner-specific questions added an additional 2 to 4 minutes per partner to the total survey length. As expected, the partner-specific GSE questions documented higher density of sexual networks that was not captured by asking about total partner counts and overlap of specific partnerships. Conclusions We found that the Project DETECT survey was able to obtain nuanced information about GSEs. The question skip patterns and consistency checks were effective, and survey fatigue was minimal. More research is needed on GSEs, and our survey represents a promising data collection tool to help fill gaps in knowledge about the subject.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren R Violette
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Lisa A Niemann
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Vanessa M McMahan
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - David A Katz
- HIV/STD Program, Public Health - Seattle & King County, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Pollyanna R Chavez
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Hollie A Clark
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Steven F Ethridge
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Sarah J McDougal
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - George Ure Ii
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Joanne D Stekler
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Kevin P Delaney
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
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10
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Le Moëne O, Ågmo A. Modeling Human Sexual Motivation in Rodents: Some Caveats. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:187. [PMID: 31507386 PMCID: PMC6719563 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual behavior is activated by motivation. An overwhelming majority of experimental studies of the intricacies of sexual motivation has been performed in rodents, most of them in rats. Sometimes it is desirable to generalize results obtained in this species to other species, particularly the human. It is hoped that studies of the neurobiology of rodent sexual behavior may shed light on the central nervous mechanisms operating in the human, and the search for efficient pharmacological treatments of human sexual dysfunctions relies partly on studies performed in rodents. Then the issue of generalizability of the rodent data to the human becomes crucial. We emphasize the importance of distinguishing between copulatory acts, behavior involving the genitals, and the preceding event, the establishment of physical contact with a potential mate. Comparisons between the structure of copulatory behavior in rats and humans show abysmal differences, but there may be some similarity in the underlying mechanisms. The endocrine control of sex behavior is shortly mentioned, and we also compare the effects of the few drugs known to affect both rodent and human copulatory behavior. The stimuli activating sexual motivation, often called desire in the human literature, are examined, and the sexual approach behaviors in rats and humans are compared. There is a striking similarity between these species in how these behaviors respond to drugs. It is then shown that the intensity of sexual approach is unrelated to the intensity of copulatory behavior. Even though the approach is a requisite for copulation, an activity that requires at least two individuals in close physical contact, these two aspects of sexuality do not covary. This is similar to the role of the testosterone in men and male rats: although the hormone is needed for sex behavior, there is no correlation between serum testosterone concentration and the intensity of copulation. It is also pointed out that human sexual behavior is mostly determined by social conventions, whereas this is not the case in rats and other rodents. It is concluded that some observations in rats can be generalized to the human, but extreme caution must be exercised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Le Moëne
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Anders Ågmo
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
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11
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Meunier É, Escoffier J, Siegel K. Rethinking Risks and Interventions Beyond HIV: The Importance of Contextualizing Collective Sex. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:51-56. [PMID: 29663163 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1214-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Étienne Meunier
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | | | - Karolynn Siegel
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY, 10032, USA
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12
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Frank K. Response to Commentaries. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:69-77. [PMID: 30523471 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1364-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Frank
- Department of Sociology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA.
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13
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Frank K. Rethinking Risk, Culture, and Intervention in Collective Sex Environments. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:3-30. [PMID: 29748787 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1153-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
This article provides a narrative overview of research on HIV/STI risk and collective sexual behavior based on an inclusive analysis of research on environments where people gather for sexual activity-sex clubs, swingers' clubs, bathhouses, parks, private sex parties, etc. The aim is to analyze how collective sex has been approached across disciplines to promote conversation across paradigms and suggest new lines of inquiry. Attention to context-such as the location of sex-was a necessary redress to universalizing models of sexual risk-taking behavior, leading to insights rooted in the particularities of each environment and its users. However, the identification of ever more precise risk groups or environmental idiosyncrasies eventually becomes theoretically restrictive, leading to an overestimation of the uniqueness of sexual enclaves, and of the difference between any given enclave and the broader social milieu. Using a theoretical framework of transgression to interpret the interdisciplinary literature, similarities in the spatial and social organization of collective sex environments are identified. Insights generated from this complementary perspective are then applied to understandings of collective sex: first, the example of male-female (MF) "swingers" is used to illustrate the need to establish, rather than assume, the distinctiveness of each non-normative sexual enclave, and to broaden the conceptualization of context; second, questions are raised about the practicality of interventions in collective sex environments. Finally, new lines of intellectual inquiry are suggested to shed light not just on collective sex but on sociosexual issues more generally, such as increasing protective sexual health behavior or negotiating consent in sexual encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Frank
- Department of Sociology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89557, USA.
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14
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Meunier É, Siegel K. Sexual Risk Behaviors and Perceptions of Men Who Go to Gay Sex Parties in New York City: Comparisons Between Three HIV Groups. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2018; 55:880-891. [PMID: 29148839 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2017.1393042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Men who have sex with men (MSM) who attend group-sex events often engage in risky sexual behaviors that contribute to the high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence among this population. We conducted an online survey with 211 New York City MSM who attended sex parties in the prior year and asked them to describe their behaviors and perceptions of risk. We compared responses from HIV-positive-undetectable men (n = 36), HIV-negative men on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP; n = 62), and HIV-negative men never on PrEP (n = 113). In bivariate analyses, undetectable and on-PrEP men had been to more sex parties in the prior six months, had more anal sex partners there, and had higher rates of sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses than men never on PrEP. Although less than the other groups, 43% of the presumably HIV-negative men never on PrEP reported condomless anal sex at a party in the prior six months. About half of participants agreed that, at sex parties, they made assumptions about others' HIV status, that they sometimes took more risks than intended, and that the atmosphere of these events was conducive to risk taking. Most disagreed that there was discussion of HIV status at sex parties. Implications for sexual health interventions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Étienne Meunier
- a Department of Sociomedical Sciences , Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
| | - Karolynn Siegel
- a Department of Sociomedical Sciences , Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
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Illicit drug use and its association with sexual risk behaviour among MSM: more questions than answers? Curr Opin Infect Dis 2016; 29:58-63. [PMID: 26694620 DOI: 10.1097/qco.0000000000000234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Illicit drug use before or during sex - known as sexualized drug use (colloquially 'chemsex' or 'party and play') - has evolved as novel psychoactive substances have entered the market in many parts of the world. Here, we review key conceptual issues in associations between illicit drug use and sexual risk-behaviour in MSM. RECENT FINDINGS Although many studies have confirmed that MSM use drugs with greater prevalence than the general population, evidence is of variable quality and a sampling frame is difficult to establish. Moreover, psychosocial hypotheses linking drug use and sexual risk, including cognitive escape and sensation seeking, are unsatisfactory and generally ignore strategic use of drugs for sexual aims. Person-level associations between drug use history and both sexual risk behaviour and HIV infection tend to be consistent around the world, but evidence comparing encounters within subjects is generally unclear and out of date. SUMMARY There is a need for interventions for harm reduction targeted at MSM that account specifically for the social and cultural contexts of sexualized drug use. Expanded attention to surveillance of emerging drug use trends can help clinicians in sexual health and infectious diseases best anticipate the needs of their service users.
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