Men's Sexual Risk Factors for HIV Infection: Racial Differences in Behavior,Knowledge,and Self-Perceptions

Abstract

HIV transmission most often results from individually-induced activities. Previous research into HIV transmission has identified both high-risk groups and high-risk behaviors. This research identifies differences between white and African-American men and their participation in HIV-risk behaviors, HIV-related knowledge, and self-perceived likelihood for HIV infection. Findings show a contradiction between reported HIV-risk behaviors and self-perceived risk of contracting HIV for all male participants. Furthermore, racial differences are significantly related to both the type and number of sexual partners, participation in and frequency of condom use for various sexual activities, and levels of self-perceived knowledge of HIV/AIDS. These findings and implications on current and future HIV prevention/intervention efforts are discussed.