Age and sexual risk among black men who have sex with men in South Africa: the mediating role of attitudes towards condoms

SOURCE: Journal of Health Psychology
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2013
TITLE AUTHOR(S): F.Kaighobadi, J.Knox, V.Reddy, T.Sandfort
KEYWORDS: CONDOM USE, HIV/AIDS, HOMOSEXUALITY, MEN, RISK BEHAVIOUR, SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR, SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 7823
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/2885
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/2885

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Abstract

The results of research linking age and sexual risk among men who have sex with men have been inconsistent. This study assessed the relationship between age and sexual risk among 193 Black men who have sex with men in Pretoria. Older men who have sex with men reported engaging in more frequent unprotected insertive anal intercourse. We examined whether components of Information Motivation Behavioral Skills model mediated this relationship. Results showed that (1) older age predicts less positive attitudes toward condoms, (2) less positive attitudes predict more frequent unprotected insertive anal intercourse, and (3) attitudes mediate the relationship between age and frequency of unprotected insertive anal intercourse. We consider two possible explanations for these findings: a developmental trajectory and a cohort effect.