Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 2001 Jun;91(6):953–958. doi: 10.2105/ajph.91.6.953

The Circuit Party Men's Health Survey: findings and implications for gay and bisexual men.

G Mansergh 1, G N Colfax 1, G Marks 1, M Rader 1, R Guzman 1, S Buchbinder 1
PMCID: PMC1446474  PMID: 11392940

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined characteristics of gay and bisexual men who attend circuit parties, frequency of and motivations for attending parties, drug use and sexual behavior during circuit party weekends, and use of risk reduction materials available at parties. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 295 gay and bisexual men from the San Francisco Bay Area who had attended a circuit party in the previous year. RESULTS: One fourth of the men reported a drug "overuse" incident in the previous year. Nearly all respondents reported use of drugs during circuit party weekends, including ecstasy (75%), ketamine (58%), crystal methamphetamine (36%), gamma hydroxybutyrate or gamma butyrolactone (25%), and Viagra (12%). Two thirds of the men reported having sex (oral or anal), 49% reported having anal sex, and 28% reported having unprotected anal sex during the 3-day period. An association was found between use of drugs and sexual risk behavior. Prevention materials were observed at party events by some men; however, relatively few men used the materials. Common motivations for attending the parties were "to listen to music and dance" and "to be with friends." CONCLUSIONS: Intensive, targeted health promotion efforts are needed for gay and bisexual men who attend circuit parties.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (83.9 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bosga M. B., de Wit J. B., de Vroome E. M., Houweling H., Schop W., Sandfort T. G. Differences in perception of risk for HIV infection with steady and non-steady partners among homosexual men. AIDS Educ Prev. 1995 Apr;7(2):103–115. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cohen D. A., Farley T. A., Bedimo-Etame J. R., Scribner R., Ward W., Kendall C., Rice J. Implementation of condom social marketing in Louisiana, 1993 to 1996. Am J Public Health. 1999 Feb;89(2):204–208. doi: 10.2105/ajph.89.2.204. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dawson J. M., Fitzpatrick R. M., Reeves G., Boulton M., McLean J., Hart G. J., Brookes M. Awareness of sexual partners' HIV status as an influence upon high-risk sexual behaviour among gay men. AIDS. 1994 Jun;8(6):837–841. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Kegeles S. M., Hays R. B., Coates T. J. The Mpowerment Project: a community-level HIV prevention intervention for young gay men. Am J Public Health. 1996 Aug;86(8):1129–1136. doi: 10.2105/ajph.86.8_pt_1.1129. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kelly J. A., St Lawrence J. S., Diaz Y. E., Stevenson L. Y., Hauth A. C., Brasfield T. L., Kalichman S. C., Smith J. E., Andrew M. E. HIV risk behavior reduction following intervention with key opinion leaders of population: an experimental analysis. Am J Public Health. 1991 Feb;81(2):168–171. doi: 10.2105/ajph.81.2.168. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kelly J. A., St Lawrence J. S., Stevenson L. Y., Hauth A. C., Kalichman S. C., Diaz Y. E., Brasfield T. L., Koob J. J., Morgan M. G. Community AIDS/HIV risk reduction: the effects of endorsements by popular people in three cities. Am J Public Health. 1992 Nov;82(11):1483–1489. doi: 10.2105/ajph.82.11.1483. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lewis L. A., Ross M. W. The gay dance party culture in Sydney: a qualitative analysis. J Homosex. 1995;29(1):41–70. doi: 10.1300/J082v29n01_03. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mansergh G., Marks G., Miller L., Appleby P. R., Murphy S. Is 'knowing people with HIV/AIDS' associated with safer sex in men who have sex with men? AIDS. 2000 Aug 18;14(12):1845–1851. doi: 10.1097/00002030-200008180-00021. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Marwick C. Coma-inducing drug GHB may be reclassified. JAMA. 1997 May 21;277(19):1505–1506. doi: 10.1001/jama.277.19.1505. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. McLean J., Boulton M., Brookes M., Lakhani D., Fitzpatrick R., Dawson J., McKechnie R., Hart G. Regular partners and risky behaviour: why do gay men have unprotected intercourse? AIDS Care. 1994;6(3):331–341. doi: 10.1080/09540129408258645. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Scheer S., Douglas J. M., Jr, Vittinghoff E., Bartholow B. N., McKirnan D., Judson F. N., MacQueen K. M., Buchbinder S. Feasibility and suitability of targeting young gay men for HIV vaccine efficacy trials. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1999 Feb 1;20(2):172–178. doi: 10.1097/00042560-199902010-00010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Stall R., Wiley J. A comparison of alcohol and drug use patterns of homosexual and heterosexual men: the San Francisco Men's Health Study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 1988 Oct;22(1-2):63–73. doi: 10.1016/0376-8716(88)90038-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Valleroy L. A., MacKellar D. A., Karon J. M., Rosen D. H., McFarland W., Shehan D. A., Stoyanoff S. R., LaLota M., Celentano D. D., Koblin B. A. HIV prevalence and associated risks in young men who have sex with men. Young Men's Survey Study Group. JAMA. 2000 Jul 12;284(2):198–204. doi: 10.1001/jama.284.2.198. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES