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Session 169
Poster Abstracts Risk Behavior Studies Wednesday, 1:30 - 3:30 pm Hall B |
Background: Bisexual males may represent an important
bridge for HIV transmission between men who have sex with men and their female
sex partners. To explore this possible link, we examined levels of unprotected
intercourse among men who have sex with both men and women.
Methods: Data are from the 2002 HIV Testing Survey
(HITS), an anonymous, cross-sectional interview survey, conducted in 10 states.
This analysis was limited to men recruited from gay bars who had sex with men in
the last 12 months. We examined associations with bisexual behavior using
multiple logistic regression. Among men having sex
with men and women, the association between unprotected intercourse with male and
female partners was assessed using Fisher’s exact test.
Results: A total of 162 (14%) of the 1161 men recruited
in gay bars reported having sex with men and women in the last 12 months. Men
who have sex with men and women were more likely to be black (adjusted odds
ratio [AOR] = 2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6 to 4.4), multi-racial (AOR =
2.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 4.3), have given or received money or drugs for sex in the last
12 months (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.5 to 4.5), and be 18 to 24 years old (AOR = 2.5,
95% CI 1.6 to 4.2). Of these 162, 46% reported unprotected intercourse with male
partners and 41% with female partners. Men engaging in unprotected intercourse with
men were more likely than those engaging in protected intercourse with men to
engage in unprotected intercourse with their primary (85% vs
39%, p < 0.001) and non-primary
female partners (49% vs 21%, p = 0.006).
Conclusions:
The high prevalence of unprotected
intercourse with female partners among men engaging in unprotected intercourse
with male partners creates the potential for the spread of HIV from MSM to their
female sex partners. These findings underscore the need to expand HIV prevention
interventions among men who have sex with men and women and to provide services
that address their multiple risk behaviors.
Keywords: bisexual men; unprotected intercourse; HIV risk behavior
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