NON-GAY-IDENTIFYING MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN - FORMATIVE RESEARCH RESULTS FROM SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

NON-GAY-IDENTIFYING MEN who have sex with men are at risk for human im munodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. To understand these men and to d evelop interventions to reduce their HIV risks, the authors interviewe d staff at agencies that serve non-gay-identifying men who have sex wi th men, business people who interact with them, and the men themselves . Interviews were augmented with focus groups of non-gay-identifying m en who have sex with men and field observations at sites identified as places where they meet to negotiate or have sex. These qualitative da ta suggested 73 possible groups, which were consolidated into 16 broad er ''sectors,'' and then formally ranked by level of HIV risk, ease of access to the sector, psychosocial risks, and influence of other loca l interventions or research activities,The authors identified six prio rity groups of non-gay-identifying men who have sex with men (and site s where members of these groups could be approached): hustlers, closet ed men, experimenters, incarcerated or formerly incarcerated men, men of color, and heterosexually identified bisexuals. Masturbation and or al sex were reportedly common, but anal and vaginal sex were also note d; condom use was rarely reported. Risk behaviors among non-gay-identi fying men who have sex with men persist for a variety of reasons and m ay require a variety of intervention approaches.