Habitual Condom Use Across Partner Type and Sexual Position Among Younger Gay and Bisexual Men: Findings from New Zealand HIV Behavioural Surveillance 2006– 2011
Date
2015
Authors
Lachowsky, Nathan J.
Dewey, Cate E.
Dickson, Nigel P.
Saxton, Peter J.
Hughes, Anthony J.
Milhausen, Robin R.
Summerlee, Alastair J. S.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Abstract
Objectives: Our objectives were to investigate
demographic and behavioural factors associated with
condom use and to examine how habitual condom use
was across partner types and sexual positions among
younger men who have sex with men (YMSM), aged
16–29, surveyed in New Zealand.
Methods: We analysed the 2006–2011 national HIV
behavioural surveillance data from YMSM who reported
anal intercourse in four scenarios of partner type and
sexual position: casual insertive, casual receptive, regular
insertive and regular receptive. For each, respondents’
condom use was classified as frequent (always/almost
always) or otherwise, with associated factors identified
with multivariate mixed-effect logistic regression.
Habitual condom use across scenarios was examined
using a latent variable technique that estimated the
intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
Results: Frequent condom use was reported for 63.6%
of 5153 scenarios reported from 2412 YMSM. Frequent
use increased from boyfriend to fuckbuddy to casual
partners. Infrequent use was associated with online
recruitment, Pacific ethnicity, less education, HIV
positivity, sex with women, having ≥20 sexual partners
versus 1 and reporting insertive and receptive sexual
positions. Frequent condom use was associated with
having two to five sexual partners versus one and
shorter regular partnerships. The ICC=0.865 indicated
highly habitual patterns of use; habitual infrequent
condom use was most prevalent with regular partners
(53.3%) and habitual frequent condom use was most
prevalent with casual partners (70.2%) and for either
sexual position (50.5% and 49.1%).
Conclusions: Habitual condom use among YMSM
highlights the value of early, engaging and sustained
condom promotion. Public health should provide better
and more compelling condom education, training and
promotion for YMSM.
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Citation
Lachowsky, N. J., Dewey, C. E., Dickson, N. P., Saxton, P. J. W., Hughes, A. J., Milhausen, R. R., & Summerlee, A. J. S. (2015). “Habitual Condom Use Across Partner Type and Sexual Position Among Younger Gay and Bisexual Men: Findings from New Zealand HIV Behavioural Surveillance 2006–2011.” Sexually Transmitted Infections, 91, 445–450. https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2014-051759