The aim of this study was to explore the sociopsychological influences that affect decision-making processes regarding sexual practice before and after becoming infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It was hoped to identify and describe the factors that influence sexual practices using multiple regression methods and to explore in more detail, using qualitative methods, the issues for gay men.
The study randomised participants to complete a questionnaire which included the short General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (NASSAL) questionnaire; carried out in-depth semi-structured interviews and invited participants to take part in a focus group. The study was undertaken in an HIV clinic in South London, and completed data from 60 gay HIV seropositive men were included.
Contracting HIV results in a complex disease process, and multiple factors may influence behaviour in sexual practices. Using stepwise regression, the study indicated that the strongest predictor of present and intended future sexual behaviours was past sexual behaviour. The other variable measures were weakly correlated and therefore not significant.
These results indicate that innovative methods to increase condom use in men during their first sexual experiences have to be considered. Although this applies to all age ranges, from this study, younger men (under 20 years) who were experiencing their first exposures to homosexual lifestyle were considered more at risk for learning unsafe sexual behaviours from older sexual partners.
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