High-risk sexual behavior and condom use among gay and bisexual African-American men

Little is known about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) high-risk sexual practices of gay and bisexual African-American men. These data are needed so that better interventions can be developed and implemented in this population.

The frequency and correlates of unprotected anal intercourse were examined among 250 gay and bisexual African-American men in the San Francisco Bay Area. The cohort was recruited in 1990 from bars, bathhouses, and erotic bookstores, and through African-American gay organizations, street outreach, advertisements in gay mainstream and African-American newspapers, health clinics, and personal referral from other participants.

More than 50% of the men in our sample reported having unprotected anal intercourse in the past 6 months, a considerably higher percentage than that among gay White men in San Francisco through 1988 and 1989. Men who practiced unprotected anal intercourse were more likely to be poor, to have been paid for sex, or to have used injection drugs; to have a higher perceived risk of HIV infection; and to report less social support for concerns about risky sexual behavior. Condom norms, condom efficacy, and negative expectations about using condoms predicted these men's failure to use them.

In the second decade of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic, risk reduction programs are still needed for gay and bisexual African-American men.