HELP-SEEKING FOR AIDS HIGH-RISK SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR AMONG GAY AND BISEXUAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN

Help-seeking for AIDS high-risk sexual behavior and its association wi th HIV status were examined among 318 gay and bisexual men in the San Francisco Bay Area who participated in the African American Men's Heal th Project, a longitudinal survey of gay and bisexual African-American men. A third (36%) of the sample reported seeking help regarding thei r concerns about HIV high-risk sexual behavior. Peers and professional s were the most widely sought sources of help and the sources perceive d to be the most helpful. Men (39%) who had received the HIV antibody test and who were HIV seropositive were more likely to seek help than men who were HIV seronegative or did not know their HIV status (25%). Furthermore, gay men who were HIV seropositive or who knew their seros tatus Futheremore likely to seek help from professionals and peers. Ex planations for the differences in help-seeking by HIV-seropositive men are discussed with implications for the development of social support for HIV risk reduction among gay and bisexual African-American men.