Reasons for inconsistent AIDS‐preventive behaviors among gay men

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Abstract
Although many studies have reported significant increases in AIDS‐preventive behavior (APB) among gay men, they have also found that many individuals retain residual risk behavior. To investigate the dynamics underlying this inconsistency in APB performance, focus group discussions were conducted with 41 gay men. Content analysis indicated that although most men had modified their sexual behavior in response to concerns about AIDS and perceived these changes to be sufficient to reduce or eliminate risk, for many, actual practice of safer sex was erratic. Respondents did not express motivation to initiate further behavior change, perhaps because they considered their current behavior an adequate response to the threat of infection. Participants appeared to engage in a process of cognitive distortion to maintain consistency between perceptions of their inconsistent APB and perceptions of themselves as low‐risk individuals, viewing their risky behavior as due to atypical, situational factors, and therefore not a true health risk.