COPING STRATEGIES, SUBSTANCE USE, SEXUAL-ACTIVITY, AND HIV SEXUAL RISKS IN A SAMPLE OF GAY MALE STD PATIENTS

The relationships of coping strategies with levels of substance use an d sexual activity, and with HIV sexual risks, are examined in a sample of gay male STD clinic patients (n = 416). Previous research has sugg ested that use of problem-focused coping strategies should be negative ly related to levels of substance use, levels of sexual activity, and HIV sexual risks; use of emotion-focused coping strategies should be p ositively related to these outcomes. It is argued that substance use a nd sexual activity clearly fit within a coping perspective, but that t he HIV sexual risks/coping relationship is less clear. In multivariate analysis, the problem-focused strategy of advice seeking is negativel y related to the number of types of drugs used and to the number of se xual partners; the problem-focused strategy of support seeking is nega tively related to the number of days using drugs; and the use of emoti on-focused strategies is positively related to the number of types of drugs used. Problem-focused coping strategies are less directly relate d to engaging in HIV sexual risks when measures of substance use and o f sexual activity are included in the prediction; emotion-focused copi ng strategies are more stably related to HIV risk. Indirect effects of coping on HIV risk are also identified through the effects of coping on the number of types of drugs used, number of sex partners, and numb er of times having sex. It is proposed that the relationships between coping and levels of substance use and sexual activity reflect the use of these activities as ways of relieving strain, but that relationshi ps between coping and HIV sexual risks involve less clearly understood direct and indirect relationships.