Table 1.
Demographic, relationship, and behavioral characteristics of an online sample of coupled Gay, Bisexual and other Men who have Sex with Men (GBMSM) (n = 215), collected July–September, 2020, United States. Data are N (%)a or mean ± standard deviation (SD)
| Characteristic or behavior | Prior to COVID-19 pandemic | During COVID-19 pandemic |
|---|---|---|
| Anal intercourse (AI) frequency (past 3 months) | 8.5 ± 13.3 | |
| AI frequency during COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| Less frequently than 3 months before COVID-19 pandemic | 69 (33.0) | |
| About the same frequency as 3 months before COVID-19 pandemic | 114 (54.6) (54.6) | |
| More frequently than 3 months before COVID-19 pandemic | 26 (12.4) | |
| Sexual agreement with partner | ||
| None | 68 (31.6) | 67 (31.2) |
| Monogamous | 50 (23.3) | 66 (30.7) |
| Non-monogamous | 97 (45.1) | 82 (38.1) |
| Changed, ended, or developed sexual agreement during COVID-19 pandemic | 33 (15.4) | |
| COVID-19 pandemic was primary or contributing factor in changing, ending, or developing sexual agreementb | 28 (84.9) | |
| Reason for changing, ending, or developing sexual agreement during COVID-19 pandemicc,d | ||
| Reduce risk of contracting or transmitting COVID-19 | 26 (92.9) | |
| Difficult to meet/see outside partners during pandemic | 10 (35.1) | |
| Increased commitment to primary relationship/partner | 5 (17.9) | |
| Outside sexual partners/activityd,e | ||
| In-person | 73 (34.0) | 53 (24.7) |
| Online | 103 (47.9) | 95 (44.2) |
| None | 103 (47.9) | 114 (53.0) |
| Number of outside sexual partners (in-person)f | 3.9 ± 4.0e | 2.5 ± 2.1 |
| Broken agreement with partnerg | 11 (7.5) | 7 (4.2) |
| COVID-19 contributed to breaking agreementh | 3 | |
| How pandemic contributed to agreement breakaged,i | ||
| “I was unable to have sex with my partner at the time due to social or physical distancing measures.” | 1 | |
| “I wanted to have sex without putting my partner at risk for COVID-19.” | 1 | |
| “I was stressed and anxious because of the pandemic.” | 1 | |
| “I was bored.” | 2 | |
| “I felt isolated and/or lonely.” | 1 | |
| “I was emotionally distant from my partner or my partner was emotionally distant from me.” | 1 |
SD Standard deviation
aTotals may not sum to sample size (N = 215) due to missing data; % not reported for N < 5
bAmong those who reported changing, ending, or entering into a sexual agreement with their partner
cAmong those who reported the pandemic was a factor in their agreement change
dResponses/categories not mutually exclusive
ePre-pandemic recall period: 3 months
fAmong those with in-person outside sexual partners
gAmong those who reported having a sexual agreement with their partner
hAmong those who reported breaking agreement during COVID-19 pandemic
iAmong those who reported that COVID-19 contributed to agreement breakage