Predictors of high risk sexual behaviour in gay and bisexual men

Evidence of high risk sex between gay men continues to be reported, as does a range of sexual behaviour. Three hundred and sixty-nine homosexually active men from different areas of England were each assessed twice at an an interval of 9 months in order to examine the extent to which a number of social-psychological factors predicted subsequent high risk sexual behaviour. Few of the variables were significantly related to unprotected receptive anal sex in the way that the Health Belief Model predicted, except for some perceptions of costs and benefits of safer sex. However, whether or not men were involved in a regular relationship with a partner was strongly associated with high risk behaviour. The implications of these results are that health education interventions should focus on alerting all men to the social context in which high risk sex is more likely to happen: the regular partnership.