Involvement in Specific HIV Risk Practices among Men Who Use the Internet to Find Male Partners for Unprotected Sex

Sexual Sensation Seeking: A Validated Scale for Spanish Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual People

Sexual Sensation Seeking has been identified as a main predictor of unsafe sex that particularly affects LGB people. This study adapts and validates the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale to Spanish LGB people. For this purpose, we tested the factor structure in 1237 people, ranged from 17 to 60 years old, 880 self-defined as homosexuals and 357 as bisexuals. The results support the appropriateness of this scale for Spanish LGB people and determine two factors, explaining the 49.91% of variance: "physical sensations attraction" and "sexual experiences". Our findings reveal optimal levels of internal consistency in the total scale (α = 0.81) and each factor (α = 0.84 and α = 0.71). Additional analyses have demonstrated convergent validity for this scale. Important implications of the validated Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale in Spanish LGB people are discussed, in order to early detection and preventive interventions for HIV and other sexual health problems.

Anal intercourse without condoms among HIV-positive men who have sex with men recruited from a sexual networking web site, United States

BACKGROUND

The changing landscape of HIV prevention in the United States underscores the need to improve our ability to efficiently reach HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) who engage in behaviors that could transmit HIV.

METHODS

We examined the prevalence of anal intercourse (AI) without condoms with HIV-negative or unknown serostatus partners ("at-risk partners") among 1319 HIV-positive adult male members of a sexual networking Web site for MSM. Sexual behaviors and substance use were measured over a 60-day recall period. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of insertive and receptive AI without condoms with at-risk partners.

RESULTS

Approximately 25% of the men had been diagnosed as having HIV 12 months or less before study enrollment. Overall, 32% of men engaged in AI without condoms with at-risk partners. Multiple logistic regression identified behavioral predictors of insertive AI without condoms with at-risk partners, including HIV diagnosis within the last 12 months, sex with multiple male partners, substance use in conjunction with sex, and use of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors. Receptive AI without condoms with at-risk partners was associated with younger age (19-24 years), residing outside metropolitan cities, substance use in conjunction with sex, and having multiple male partners.

CONCLUSIONS

High levels of sexual risk were found among these MSM. Increased Internet-based HIV prevention marketing efforts and prevention strategies should be considered to efficiently reach HIV-positive MSM who engage in serodiscordant AI without condoms.