title: Alcohol use predicts sexual risk behavior with HIV-negative or partners of unknown status among young HIV-positive men who have sex with men.
abstract: Although the relationship between substance use and heightened sexual risk behaviors have been documented in samples of young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and HIV-positive adult men who have sex with men (MSM), there is a dearth of research on the role of substance use in the sexual risk behaviors of HIV-positive YMSM. We examined associations between alcohol and other drug use with sexual risk behaviors among a sample of HIV-positive YMSM (N=200). There were no significant predictors of either receptive or insertive unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with HIV-positive partners among the substance use variables. Failure to use a condom after drinking alcohol (β=2.00, p<0.01) was significantly associated with insertive UAI with HIV-negative partners or partners of unknown status. Failure to use a condom after drinking alcohol (β=1.36, p<0.05) and age (β=0.35, p<0.05) were significantly associated with receptive UAI with HIV-negative partners or partners of unknown status. Findings from this article underscore the role of alcohol in facilitating UAI among HIV-positive YMSM and their HIV-negative and status-unknown partners.
authors.affiliation: Master of Public Health Program, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA. dbruce1@depaul.edu
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.forename: Shoshana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kahana
authors.forename: Gary W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: M Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001727:Bisexuality; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D021841:Safe Sex; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D047568:Unsafe Sex; D055815:Young Adult