'It's just a matter of playing the odds': Navigating risks associated with sexual behaviour in the COVID-19 era

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, scholars and popular media outlets have been speculating on the pandemic's effects on sexual relationships. While research differs as to whether COVID-19 is associated with sexual behaviour changes, none has focused on how sexual risk-taking during the pandemic is perceived and accomplished. Drawing on semi-structured interview data collected from 30 sexual minority men in the US, this study explores how men make sense of and manage risk during sexual activity taking place outside the bounds of lockdown. Four themes arose from these interviews: (a) the commonality of sexual activity despite COVID-19 risk; (b) sexual motivations rooted in emotions such as desire, longing for connection, and the wish to live fully in the face of the pandemic; (c) varied perceptions regarding the possibility of preventing COVID-19 infection; and (d) risk assessment and management strategies that were similar to those used for HIV prevention. Assuming or calling for abstinence neglects questions of risk navigation and omits the experiences of large swaths of the population. Addressing these issues might minimize COVID-19 transmission associated with sexual risk-taking among sexual minority men.