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Syndemic Production and Sexual Compulsivity/Hypersexuality in Highly Sexually Active Gay and Bisexual Men: Further Evidence for a Three Group Conceptualization

  • Special Section: Sexual Health in Gay and Bisexual Men
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Abstract

Among gay and bisexual men (GBM), a syndemic describes a situation in which negative conditions (e.g., childhood sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, depression, polysubstance use) co-occur such to amplify HIV risk. Research has suggested that sexual compulsivity (SC) may also be a syndemic condition. Between 2011 and 2013, 368 highly sexually active (9+ male partners in 90 days) GBM completed a survey of syndemic factors as well as measures of sexual compulsivity (Sexual Compulsivity Scale [SCS]) and hypersexuality (hypersexual disorder screening inventory [HDSI]). Based on scores on the SCS and HDSI, participants were organized into three groups—negative on both (“Neither SC nor HD”); positive on the SCS only (“SC Only”), and positive on both the SCS and the HDSI (“Both SC and HD”). We found support for the utility of a three-group classification of sexual compulsivity/hypersexuality as one of the syndemic factors that contribute to HIV risk. The average number of syndemic factors experienced was lowest among those who experienced Neither SC nor HD and highest among the group that experienced Both SC and HD, with those experiencing SC Only falling between the two other groups. This study provided further evidence that sexual compulsivity/hypersexuality is a contributing factor to the syndemics model of HIV risk for GBM and that considering three levels of severity (i.e., SC along with HD) led to stronger model predictions than considering SC alone. SC/HD severity provides another modifiable target for HIV prevention intervention development.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by a research Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH087714; Jeffrey T. Parsons, Principal Investigator). H. Jonathon Rendina was supported in part by a National Institute of Mental Health Ruth L. Kirchstein Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31-MH095622). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of the Pillow Talk Research Team: Brian Mustanski, John Pachankis, Ruben Jimenez, Demetria Cain, and Sitaji Gurung. We would also like to thank the CHEST staff who played important roles in the implementation of the project: Chris Hietikko, Chloe Mirzayi, Anita Viswanath, and Thomas Whitfield, as well as our team of recruiters and interns. Finally, we thank Chris Ryan, Daniel Nardicio, and Stephan Adelson and the participants who volunteered their time for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, 695 Park Ave., New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons

  2. The Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies & Training, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons, H. Jonathon Rendina, Raymond L. Moody, Ana Ventuneac & Christian Grov

  3. Health Psychology and Clinical Science Doctoral Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons & Raymond L. Moody

  4. CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons & Christian Grov

  5. Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Christian Grov

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  1. Jeffrey T. Parsons
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Correspondence to Jeffrey T. Parsons.

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Parsons, J.T., Rendina, H.J., Moody, R.L. et al. Syndemic Production and Sexual Compulsivity/Hypersexuality in Highly Sexually Active Gay and Bisexual Men: Further Evidence for a Three Group Conceptualization. Arch Sex Behav 44, 1903–1913 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0574-5

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