Correlates of sexual risk-taking behaviour among HIV seropositive gay men in concordant primary partner relationships

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Abstract
This study sought to understand how person, perceived health risks, psychosocial, and mental health factors relate to unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) among 91 HIV seropositive (HIV + ) gay men in concordant primary partner relationships. The data was drawn from a larger sample of 464 HIV + men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) from mainstream gay venues, AIDS service organizations, and public sex environments in New York City and San Francisco. The findings from this study suggest that UAI is a common behaviour among HIV + gay men in seroconcordant couples, which may compromise their health due to the possibility of HIV reinfection and the transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases. Results from our analyses indicated that lower perceived risk of HIV reinfection, lower behavioural intentions for condom use, and higher CD4 counts were predictive of HIV + gay men engaging in UAI with their HIV + primary partner. In situations where there is discordance in HIV strain type or in dyads where monogamy is not maintained, the practice of UAI may present health risks for the men in HIV + seroconcordant relationships.