Substance Use and Sexual Risk Differences among Older Bisexual and Gay Men with HIV

Bisexual and gay men are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. Research typically combines these groups into the category of men who have sex with men, and little is known about between-group differences. HIV-positive populations are aging and have high rates of substance use compared to non-infe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 2014-07, Vol.40 (3), p.108-115
Main Authors: Brennan-Ing, Mark, Porter, Kristen E., Seidel, Liz, Karpiak, Stephen E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
Addictive behaviors
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Aged
Aging (Individuals)
Aging - psychology
AIDS
Biological and medical sciences
bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality - psychology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
gay
Gays & lesbians
Geriatrics
HIV
HIV Infections - psychology
HIV/AIDS
Homosexuality, Male - psychology
Human immunodeficiency virus
Human viral diseases
Humans
Infectious diseases
Male
Males
Medical sciences
Men
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
MSM
Narcotics
older adults
Personality. Affectivity
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Sexual Orientation
Sexuality. Sexual behavior
substance use
Substance-Related Disorders - psychology
Unsafe Sex - psychology
Viral diseases
Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids
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Summary:Bisexual and gay men are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. Research typically combines these groups into the category of men who have sex with men, and little is known about between-group differences. HIV-positive populations are aging and have high rates of substance use compared to non-infected peers, while substance use among older adults has increased and is associated with unprotected intercourse. Among a sample of 239 HIV-positive bisexual and gay men aged 50 and older, bisexual men were more likely to report cigarette, cocaine, crack, and heroin use compared with gay men. However, bisexual men were less likely to use crystal meth, club drugs, poppers (nitrate inhalers), and erectile dysfunction (ED) medications compared to gay men. While bisexual men reported lower rates of unprotected sex, logistic regression analysis found that current use of poppers and ED drugs, which were higher among gay men, explained this difference. Implications for education and prevention programs are discussed.
ISSN:0896-4289
1940-4026
DOI:10.1080/08964289.2014.889069