| You’re Not Alone - Many Straight Guys Have Gay Sex |
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In a recent article from the Annals of Internal Medicine, nearly one in 10 men who say they're straight have sex only with other men, and 70% of those straight-identified men having sex with men are married. In fact, 10% of all married men in this survey report same-sex behavior during the past year.  This means safe-sex messages aimed at straight and gay men are likely missing this important subgroup of MSMs (men who have sex with men but don’t identify as gay.)From the WA AIDS Council’s point of view, in order to reduce the issues of sexually transmitted infections and HIV infection among men who have sex with men, it is of utmost importance for health care providers to take a sexual history that ascertains the sex of a partner. That is why our sexual health testing clinics for gay/MSMs do ask about a patient's sexual partner(s)’ sexual identity in order to adequately assess his risk. In 2003, Pathela's team in New York performed telephone interviews with nearly 4,200 New York City men. They conducted the interviews in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Russian; a translation service helped with interviews in Greek, Korean, Yiddish, Polish, and Haitian Creole. In nearly every study of sexual behavior, the percentage of men who report sex with men is higher than the percentage of men who report being gay. So Pathela and colleagues first asked the men if they were bisexual, gay, or straight. Then they asked about specific sexual behaviors. Here are some of the findings:
Pathela and colleagues note that because they report fewer STIs and fewer sex partners than gay men, straight-identified men who have sex with men may think they are at lower risk of HIV and STIs. This isn't necessarily so. The men with whom these straight-identified men have sex may themselves have multiple sex partners and elevated STI and HIV risk. The low rate of condom use makes the straight-identified men vulnerable. Indeed, the team at Project X agrees that prevention messages should focus on the activities that pose risk - for example, fucking without a condom - and should not be framed to appeal solely to gay-identified men. If you’re a guy having sex with other guys and do not identify as gay, it is important to know that you are not alone in this. If you want some support, advice or more information about sexual health, sexuality issues and testing, contact us on 9482 0000 or email us at info@projectx.net.au.
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