Making sense of sexual risk-taking by gay menDecember 05, 2000Psychological knowledge and understanding can help make sense of recent reports of an increase in unprotected anal intercourse (termed ‘barebacking’) among gay men. This has important implications for health promotion programmes. These are the key messages of a symposium held today, Tuesday 19 December, at The British Psychological Society’s London Conference, held at the Institute of Education. The symposium chair was Dr Adrian Coyle, Department of Psychology, University of Surrey. Dr Michele Crossley, Turner Dental School, University of Manchester, presented her study which evaluated health promotion and HIV prevention materials aimed at gay men. She suggested that simplistic attempts at heath promotion may actually help create the very conditions that encourage risky sexual health practices. Zoe Meek (of the University of Luton), Doug Stow (of Beds. & Luton Community NHS Trust) and Dr Ian Rivers (of the College of Ripon & York St John) discussed their survey of gay men’s sexual behaviour and health, conducted in gay pubs, clubs and saunas in Luton. Their results showed that younger men (16-30) were more likely to have unprotected anal intercourse than older men (31 and over). Dr Jonathan Elford and colleagues (Royal Free and University College Medical School) present their research on repeat HIV testing. They found that gay men who had three or more previous HIV tests reported greater levels of high-risk sexual behaviour and an increased incidence of HIV infection. For some gay men a negative HIV test result may reinforce risky behaviour. Other papers examined the concept of HIV risk management and the relationship between advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and gay men’s explanations of unsafe sexual behaviour. British Psychological Society (BPS) |
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