Abstract
We investigated factors that might moderate the association between sexual behavior desires and sexual behavior enactments in gay men. Condom eschewal, number of STIs, HIV serostatus, age, and relationship status were each hypothesized to moderate this association. An Internet survey collected data from 219 self-identifying gay men. Results indicated that sexual behavior desires and enactments were highly correlated, and of the five moderators tested, four varied this association. Condom eschewers had a stronger association between desires and enactments than condom users. Gay men with fewer STIs/STDs (excluding HIV) also had a stronger association between the two variables. HIV serostatus did not exclusively moderate the association. Rather, a three-way interaction was produced such that HIV-positive men with STIs had a stronger association between sexual behavior desires and enactments than HIV-negative men with STIs. Finally, gay men in monogamous relationships were least likely to have their desires associated with enactments. Age was not found to be a significant moderator. Overall, we concluded the moderators representing sexual health and sexual health behaviors were most influential over the enactment of sexual behavior desires.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 950-958 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Archives of Sexual Behavior |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2010 |
Funding
Acknowledgements Special thanks to David Seal, Ph.D., for his critical feedback. Preparation of this article was supported, in part, by center grant P30-MH52776 from the National Institute of Mental Health (PI: J. A. Kelly) and by NRSA postdoctoral training grant T32-MH19985 (PI: S. Pinkerton).
Keywords
- Condom use
- Gay men
- HIV
- STIs/STDs
- Sexual desire
- Sexual enactment
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- General Psychology
