Bisexually active men: Social characteristics and sexual behavior

Abstract

We describe social characteristics and sexual behavior of young, Black or White bisexually active men (N = 536, 52% Black, M age = 25). Bisexual activity appeared to be relatively stable over time: the recruitment criterion was any sex with a man and a woman in the previous three years, yet 60% were bisexually active during the past six months, and 56% began their bisexual activity at least five years prior to the study. Compared to Whites, Black respondents were more likely to self‐identify as bisexual, reported more female sex partners, and were less likely to have disclosed their bisexual activity to others. Few respondents participated in the gay community. Rates of unsafe sex were high: 31% reported unprotected anal intercourse with a man in the past six months, with no ethnic differences. Blacks reported more unprotected sex with women and were more likely to exchange sex for money. Of the men who had been HTV tested (74%), 10.5% of Blacks and 2.9% of Whites were HIV seropositive. The sexual risk of bisexual men was high, yet their lack of participation in gay culture made them unlikely to be reached by prevention programs within the gay community. Bisexually active Black men may be at greater risk of both acquiring and transmitting HTV because of the higher seroprevalence of HTV in this population, higher likelihood of unprotected sex with both men and women, and associated risk factors, such as exchanging sex for money or drugs.