Sexual behavior and HIV risk among age-discrepant, same-sex male couples.
Research has suggested that men who have sex with men and who have older sexual partners are at increased risk of HIV infection. However, while several studies have explored risk among men in age-discrepant non-primary partnerships, only two have explored age discrepancy and risk in primary same-sex male relationships. We used data from semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore sexual behaviour and HIV risk among 14 Black, white and interracial (Black/white) same-sex male couples with an age difference of 10 or more years. Most couples regularly used condoms, and sexual positioning tended to lead to lower risk for younger partners. Some serodiscordant couples abstained from anal sex, while others used seropositioning to avoid transmission within the relationship. Within some couples, older partners acted as mentors on HIV prevention and broader life lessons. Future studies should further explore the potential risks and benefits of large age differences in same-sex male primary relationships.
a Center for Research and Education on Gender and Sexuality , San Francisco State University , San Francisco , USA.
Chadwick K
CK
Campbell
b School of Social Welfare , University of California , Berkeley , USA.
Anu Manchikanti
AM
Gomez
a Center for Research and Education on Gender and Sexuality , San Francisco State University , San Francisco , USA.|b School of Social Welfare , University of California , Berkeley , USA.
Colleen
C
Hoff
c Department of Sociomedical Sciences , Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University , New York , USA.
Kirk K
KK
Grisham
c Department of Sociomedical Sciences , Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University , New York , USA.
Patrick A
PA
Wilson
d Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences , University of California San Francisco , San Francisco , USA.
Shari L
SL
Dworkin
Gay couples; HIV risk; USA; age mixing; men who have sex with men; older partners