Gay community links and safety. Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5023. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Gay community links and safety. Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5023.

Focus. 1995 Feb;10(3):5-6. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE AIDS/95700281
Gold RS; Deakin University, School of Psychology, Victoria, Australia.

Abstract: Links to the gay community may strengthen the resolve of those with a strong orientation towards safe sex, but weaken it for those without this resolve. Four Australian studies found statistically significant correlations between unprotected anal intercourse and links to the gay community. The samples from these studies consisted of men who had engaged in widespread unprotected anal intercourse, but who were in no way isolated from the gay community. These results may differ from those obtained from other studies that have sampled gay men without restriction, presumably including many men who found it easier to stick to safe sex practices. These findings suggest that contact with the gay community probably reinforces safe sex behavior among gay men with a safe sex orientation, but may have the opposite effect on those who have difficulty maintaining safe sex. Regardless, contact with the community acts as a multiplier, heightening the effects of existing tendencies. Over-optimism about the effect of community links has been fueled by the inaccurate assumption that men who are HIV-infected will feel a strong sense of responsibility towards their partners. The strongly individualist culture of the 80's and 90's, misguided assumptions on the part of some men participating in unprotected sex, and the strong desire among some men for unprotected anal intercourse contradict the assumption. The author concludes that how gay men relate to one another may often be part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.
Keywords: Communication *Homosexuality, Male Human HIV Infections/*PREVENTION & CONTROL/TRANSMISSION Intervention Studies Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Male *Sex Behavior Sexual Partners NEWSLETTER ARTICLEKWDcommunicationKWDhomosexuality,malehumanhivinfections/KWDprevention&control/transmissioninterventionstudiesknowledge,attitudes,practicemaleKWDsexbehaviorsexualpartnersnewsletterarticle
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Copyright © 1995 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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