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Older partner selection in young African-American men who have sex with men

Renata Arrington-Sanders1, Lori Leonard, Durryle Brooks

  • 1Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. rarring3@jhmi.edu

The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine
|March 26, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Young African-American men who have sex with men seek older partners for emotional maturity and life experiences. These relationships fulfill needs for stability and community exposure, impacting HIV prevention strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Sociology
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Young African-American men who have sex with men (YAAMSM) face a disproportionate rise in new HIV cases.
  • Age-discordant partnerships between YAAMSM and older men with higher HIV infection rates are a significant risk factor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the motivations behind YAAMSM seeking older sexual partners.
  • To understand the interpersonal needs fulfilled within these older partnerships.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted 17 in-depth, semistructured qualitative interviews with YAAMSM in a high-HIV-prevalence urban city.
  • Utilized independent coding and categorical/contextualizing analytic methods for data analysis.

Main Results:

  • Key themes for seeking older partners included emotional maturity and exposure to life experiences.
  • Attraction was linked to the older partner's support and physical attractiveness.
  • Older partners often provided guidance during initial same-sex encounters.

Conclusions:

  • YAAMSM seek older partners for stable, mature relationships and broader community experiences.
  • HIV prevention efforts targeting age-discordant relationships must address the underlying interpersonal needs.

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