The sexual behaviour of bisexual men in relation to HIV transmission
Boulton, M.; Hart, G.; Fitzpatrick, R.
Aids Care 4(2): 165-175
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0954-0121 PMID: 1606212 DOI: 10.1080/09540129208253088Document Number: 318877
This article reports the findings of a study designed to investigate the sexual behavior of bisexual men in the United Kingdom as it relates to the transmission of HIV, a subject which until now had attracted little attention. The study surveyed 60 bisexual men, defined as men who had had sexual intercourse with both men and women at some point during the previous 5 years. The article describes the respondents' characteristics, sexual behavior, and perceptions of risk (to themselves and their partners) in relation to HIV. As is generally the case with studies of homosexually active men, the bisexual men is this study were generally young, white, middle class, and single. 93% of the men reported some degree of both heterosexual and homosexual attraction, but less than 1/2 expressed their bisexuality publicly. 49% of the men were embedded in a heterosexual context, 25% in a gay context, and 22% in a bisexual context. All but 4 of the men had had at least 1 partner during the past year, and 60% had had at least 1 male and 1 female partner. 77% of the respondents had at least 1 current male partner and 57% had at least 1 female partner. While about 1/3 of the men engaged in unprotected (without condom) penetrative sex with a male partners, 2/3 engaged in unprotected penetrative sex with female partners. 45% of the respondents had been tested for HIV, and of these, 15% had tested positive. Nonetheless, most of the men perceived themselves to be at lower risks than other bisexual or gay men, and the risk they did perceive was in relation to their sexual contact with other men. Few of the respondents felt that they were putting their female partners of risk of HIV.