title: Heterosexual behaviour, risk factors and sexually transmitted infections among self-classified homosexual and bisexual men.
abstract: Our study of men presenting at a genitourinary medicine clinic shows that self-classification into homosexual or bisexual does not accurately define behaviour. We found that 8.5% of self-defined homosexual men had had heterosexual intercourse in the past year and that 26% of self-defined bisexual men had not. Overall, 19% of homosexual/bisexual men reported vaginal intercourse in the past year and a further 42% in their lifetime. Compared with heterosexual men attending our clinic, the practising bisexual men were significantly more likely to come from a white ethnic group (P < 0.003) and to use condoms invariably with regular female partners (P = 0.0001). There was no significant difference in consent for HIV testing between homosexual (43%), practising bisexual (49%) and heterosexual (42%) men despite significantly different perceptions of risk. None of the practising bisexual men was seropositive for HIV infection (P = 0.06) or for syphilis (P = 0.02), or had chlamydial infection, which was found infrequently among homosexual men in general (P = 0.00001). HIV infection found in 19.4% of the exclusively homosexual men was associated with more frequent alcohol consumption (P=0.06).
authors.affiliation: Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: MacRae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001727:Bisexuality; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission; D020010:Heterosexuality; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases; D012907:Smoking