Male gender roles and sexuality: implications for women's AIDS risk and prevention

The focus of prevention of the heterosexual AIDS epidemic in the U.S. has been on women. The role of men in sexual decision making has not been emphasized in AIDS prevention approaches. As a result, the heterosexual epidemic for women continues unabated because of the lack of attention to the behavior of male sex partners. This article describes a profile of male sex partners and emphasizes gender roles and sexuality. Prevention efforts that focus singly on women have been misguided and have actually served to undermine women by making them responsible for HIV risk reduction. Prevention of AIDS among heterosexuals will require an examination of how traditional gender role socialization runs counter to safer sex practices. Control of the epidemic will require a focus on men as individuals responsible for their own health and the health of women.