Abstract
Objectives: To examine changes in sexual behaviour among London homosexual men between 1998 and 2003 by type and HIV status of partner.
Methods: Homosexual men (n = 4264) using London gyms were surveyed annually between 1998 and 2003 (range 498–834 per year). Information was collected on HIV status, unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) in the previous 3 months, and type of partner for UAI. High risk sexual behaviour was defined as UAI with a partner of unknown or discordant HIV status.
Results: Between 1998 and 2003, the percentage of men reporting high risk sexual behaviour with a casual partner increased from 6.7% to 16.1% (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.36 per year, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26 to 1.46, p <0.001). There was no significant change in the percentage of men reporting high risk sexual behaviour with a main partner alone (7.8%, 5.6%, p = 0.7). These patterns were seen for HIV positive, negative and never tested men alike regardless of age. The percentage of HIV positive men reporting UAI with a casual partner who was also HIV positive increased from 6.8% to 10.3% (AOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.58, p <0.05).
Conclusion: The increase in high risk sexual behaviour among London homosexual men between 1998 and 2003 was seen only with casual and not with main partners. STI/HIV prevention campaigns among London homosexual men should target high risk practices with casual partners since these appear to account entirely for the recent increase in high risk behaviour.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (62.1 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bolding G., Sherr L., Maguire M., Elford J. HIV risk behaviours among gay men who use anabolic steroids. Addiction. 1999 Dec;94(12):1829–1835. doi: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.1999.941218298.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bolding Graham, Sherr Lorraine, Elford Jonathan. Use of anabolic steroids and associated health risks among gay men attending London gyms. Addiction. 2002 Feb;97(2):195–203. doi: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00031.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dodds J. P., Mercey D. E., Parry J. V., Johnson A. M. Increasing risk behaviour and high levels of undiagnosed HIV infection in a community sample of homosexual men. Sex Transm Infect. 2004 Jun;80(3):236–240. doi: 10.1136/sti.2003.007286. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Elford J., Bolding G., Maguire M., Sherr L. Combination therapies for HIV and sexual risk behavior among gay men. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2000 Mar 1;23(3):266–271. doi: 10.1097/00126334-200003010-00010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Elford Jonathan, Bolding Graham, Sherr Lorraine. High-risk sexual behaviour increases among London gay men between 1998 and 2001: what is the role of HIV optimism? AIDS. 2002 Jul 26;16(11):1537–1544. doi: 10.1097/00002030-200207260-00011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Elford Jonathan, Hart Graham. If HIV prevention works, why are rates of high-risk sexual behavior increasing among MSM? AIDS Educ Prev. 2003 Aug;15(4):294–308. doi: 10.1521/aeap.15.5.294.23825. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Johnson A. M., Mercer C. H., Erens B., Copas A. J., McManus S., Wellings K., Fenton K. A., Korovessis C., Macdowall W., Nanchahal K. Sexual behaviour in Britain: partnerships, practices, and HIV risk behaviours. Lancet. 2001 Dec 1;358(9296):1835–1842. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(01)06883-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Little Susan J., Holte Sarah, Routy Jean-Pierre, Daar Eric S., Markowitz Marty, Collier Ann C., Koup Richard A., Mellors John W., Connick Elizabeth, Conway Brian. Antiretroviral-drug resistance among patients recently infected with HIV. N Engl J Med. 2002 Aug 8;347(6):385–394. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa013552. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pickett Jim. 'HAART optimism': is it really the problem with HIV prevention in developed countries? AIDS. 2003;17 (Suppl 4):S20–S22. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Williamson Lisa M., Hart Graham J. HIV optimism does not explain increases in high-risk sexual behaviour among gay men in Scotland. AIDS. 2004 Mar 26;18(5):834–835. doi: 10.1097/00002030-200403260-00025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]