Gay, bisexual, and other men
who have sex with men (MSM) remain the highest risk group for HIV infection.
One reason is the increased use of the Internet to meet potential sex partners,
which is associated with greater sexual risk behavior. To date, few studies
have investigated psychosocial predictors of sexual risk behavior among gay and
bisexual men seeking sex partners online.
The purpose of the current study was
to test a conceptual model of the relationships between trauma symptoms indexed
on the event of HIV diagnosis, internalized HIV stigma, and social support on
sexual risk behavior among gay and bisexual MSM who seek sex partners online.
A
sample of 142 gay and bisexual MSM recruited on- and offline completed a
comprehensive online assessment battery assessing the factors noted above.
A
number of associations emerged; most notably internalized HIV stigma mediated
the relationship between trauma-related symptoms indexed on the event of HIV
diagnosis and sexual risk behavior with HIV-negative and unknown serostatus sex
partners.
This suggests that gay and bisexual MSM who are in greater distress
over their HIV diagnosis and who are more sensitive to HIV stigma engage in
more HIV transmission risk behavior. As sexual risk environments expand with
the increasing use of the Internet to connect with others for sex, it is
important to understand the predictors of sexual risk behavior so that tailored
interventions can promote sexual health for gay and bisexual MSM seeking sex
online.
Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/gB0nHw
By:
- 1a Department of Psychology , University of Connecticut , Storrs , CT , USA.
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