Destination-Specific and Home Environment Condom Norms Influence Sexual Behavior During Travel.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Epidemiology

Background:

• HIV prevention strategies are crucial for men who have sex with men (MSM).
• Perceived social norms influence risk-taking behaviors, including sexual practices.
• Understanding how norms affect condom use during travel is important for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between perceived condom norms and condomless anal sex (CAS) among MSM during international and domestic travel.
• To compare these associations with condom use in the home environment.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of 501 MSM who traveled internationally in the past 12 months using respondent-driven sampling.
• Assessment of perceived destination-specific condom norms and engagement in CAS.
• Statistical analysis to determine associations between perceived norms and CAS in different environments.

Main Results:

• Not knowing destination-specific condom norms correlated with less CAS during international travel and at home.
• Perceiving home condom norms as supportive of condom use was linked to less CAS during domestic travel.
• MSM were less likely to engage in CAS internationally when destination norms were unknown.

Conclusions:

• Unfamiliarity with international destinations may lead some MSM to adopt safer sexual practices.
• Application of home environment condom norms during domestic travel may not always be appropriate and can pose an HIV risk.