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Developmental Change in the Effects of Sexual Partner and Relationship Characteristics on Sexual Risk Behavior in Young Men Who Have Sex with Men

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Abstract

Young men who have sex with men are substantially impacted by HIV/AIDS, and most new infections occur in serious romantic dyads. Young people experience substantial psychosocial and neurocognitive change between adolescence and emerging adulthood which impacts engagement in risk behaviors. We aimed to examine developmental change in the association between sexual partnership characteristics and condomless anal intercourse (CAI). Data were taken from an analytic sample of 114 young adult MSM from a longitudinal study of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth with 4-year follow-up. Rates of CAI were approximately 12 times higher in serious compared to casual partnerships, but this effect diminished in size over time. Partner age differences and violence were associated with more CAI, and these associations strengthened across development. Characteristics of serious relationships (e.g., power dynamics) were also examined. We discuss the need for HIV prevention strategies that address dyadic influences on CAI during this critical developmental period.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R21MH095413; PI: Mustanski), National Institute on Drug Abuse (U01DA036939), an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention grant (PI: Mustanski), the William T. Grant Foundation Scholars Award (PI: Mustanski), and the David Bohnett Foundation (PI: Mustanski). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.

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  1. Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 625 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2700, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Michael E. Newcomb & Brian Mustanski

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  1. Michael E. Newcomb
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Correspondence to Michael E. Newcomb.

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Newcomb, M.E., Mustanski, B. Developmental Change in the Effects of Sexual Partner and Relationship Characteristics on Sexual Risk Behavior in Young Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Behav 20, 1284–1294 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1046-6

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