FACTORS PREDICTING CONTINUED HIGH-RISK BEHAVIOR AMONG GAY MEN IN SMALL CITIES - PSYCHOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS RELATED TO UNSAFE SEX

Nearly 6,000 men entering gay bars in 16 small American cities were an onymously surveyed to assess their sexual behaviour and to determine p redictors of risky sexual practices. Excluding individuals in long-ter m exclusive relationships, 27% of the men reported engaging in unprote cted anal intercourse in the past 2 months. Factors strongly predictiv e of risk included having a large number of different male partners, e stimating oneself to be at greater risk, having weak intentions to use condoms at next intercourse, believing that safer sex is not an expec ted norm within one's peer reference group, being of younger age, and having less education. These findings indicate that HIV prevention eff orts are urgently needed for gay men in smaller cities, with efforts p articularly focused on young and less educated men sexually active wit h multiple partners. Prevention should focus on strengthening intentio ns to change behavior and on changing social norms to foster safer sex .