Objective-A range of risk reduction behaviours in which homosexual men practise unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) has been described. We aimed to assess the extent of any reduction in HIV risk associated with these behaviours.Design-A prospective cohort study of HIV-negative homosexual men in Sydney, Australia. Methods-Men were followed up with 6-monthly detailed behavioural interviews and annual testing for HIV. The four risk reduction behaviours (behaviourally defined) examined were serosorting, negotiated safety, strategic positioning, and withdrawal during receptive UAI (UAI-R).Results-In 88% of follow-up periods in which UAI was reported, it occurred in the context of consistent risk reduction behaviours. Compared with those who reported no UAI, the risk of HIV infection was not raised in negotiated safety [hazard ratio = 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.59-4.76] and strategic positioning (hazard ratio = 1.54, 95% CI 0.45-5.26). Serosorting outside negotiated safety was associated with an intermediate rate of HIV infection (hazard ratio = 3.11, 95% CI 1.09-8.88). Withdrawal was associated with a higher risk than no UAI (hazard ratio = 5.00, 95% CI 1.94-12.92). Patterns of UAI differed greatly according to partner's serostatus. Men who reported serosorting were less likely to report either strategic positioning or withdrawal.Conclusion-Each behaviour examined was associated with an intermediate HIV incidence between the lowest and highest risk sexual behaviours. The inverse association between individual behaviours suggests that men who practise serosorting rely on this protection. The high prevalence of these behaviours demands that researchers address the contexts and risks associated with specific types of UAI.

The adoption of the strategy of negotiated safety among men in HIV-seronegative regular relationships may help such men sustain the safety of their sexual practice.

The aim of this analysis was to examine gay men's sexual risk practice to determine patterns of risk management. Ten cross-sectional surveys of gay men were conducted six-monthly from February 1996 to August 2000 at Sydney gay community social, sex-on-premises and sexual health sites (average n = 827). Every February during this period, five identical surveys were conducted at the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day (average n = 1178). Among the minority of men who had unprotected anal intercourse which involved ejaculation inside with a serodiscordant regular partner, there was a clear pattern of sexual positioning. Few regular couples were both receptive and insertive. Most HIV-positive men were receptive and most HIV-negative men were insertive. Among the minority of men who had unprotected anal intercourse which involved ejaculation inside with casual partners, there was also a pattern of sexual positioning. Whereas many casual couples were both receptive and insertive (especially those involving HIV-positive respondents), among the remainder HIV-positive men tended to be receptive and HIV-negative men tended to be insertive. These patterns of HIV-positive/receptive and HIV-negative/insertive suggest strategic risk reduction positionings rather than mere sexual preferences among a minority of gay men. If so, they point not to complacency but to an ever more complex domain of HIV prevention.

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We explored seroguessing (serosorting based on the assumption of HIV seroconcordance) and casual unprotected anal intercourse (UAIC) associated with seroguessing. The ongoing Positive Health and Health in Men cohorts, Australia, provided data for trends in seroconcordant UAIC and HIV disclosure to sex partners. In event-level analyses, we used log-binomial regression adjusted for within-individual correlation and estimated prevalence rate ratios (PRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the association between the knowledge of a casual partner's seroconcordance and UAIC. UAIC and HIV disclosure significantly increased during 2001-2006. HIV-positive men knew partners were seroconcordant in 54% and assumed it in 13% of sex encounters (42 and 17% among HIV-negative men). Among HIV-positive men, the likelihood of UAIC was higher when a partner's status was known (Adjusted PRR = 5.17, 95% CI: 3.82-7.01) and assumed seroconcordant because of seroguessing (Adjusted PRR = 3.70, 95% CI: 2.56-5.35) compared with unknown. Among HIV-negative men, the likelihood of UAIC was also higher when a partner's status was known (Adjusted PRR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.58-2.24) and assumed seroconcordant (Adjusted PRR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.72-2.62) compared with unknown. As levels of UAIC remain high, seroguessing increasingly exposes gay men to the risk of HIV infection. Because both HIV-positive and HIV-negative men often seroguess, education and prevention programs should address the fact that HIV-negative men who engage in UAI due to this practice may be at high risk of HIV infection. HIV prevention should take into account these contemporary changes in behaviors, especially among HIV-negative gay men.

Event‐related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during a selective attention task involving weak or strong electrical stimuli delivered to the index fingers of the left and right hands. In an attend weak condition, subjects were asked to count the number of weak stimuli (targets) interspersed amongst strong stimuli (standards) delivered to a designated hand, whilst ignoring a similar set of stimuli delivered to the other hand. In an attend strong condition, subjects were asked to count the number of strong targets interspersed amongst weak stimuli. In both conditions, targets and standards occurred with probabilities of .10 and .40 respectively on each hand. Counting weak targets was found to be more difficult than counting strong targets. The latency of the earliest significant effect of selective attention on ERPs to standards was dependent on stimulus intensity: N80 in the case of weak standards, P105 for strong standards. There was no evidence of a later prolonged negative shift in attended standard ERPs. Rather, an enhanced N150 component post‐centrally was followed by a prolonged positive shift of attended standard ERPs. This Late positive shift had a similar scalp distribution to the late positive component elicited by attended target stimuli.

This study examines patterns of agreement, knowledge and practice which can prevent or facilitate HIV transmission among men who are in regular ('primary') male-to-male relationships. Data are from a national volunteer phone-in survey of homosexually-active men in Australia. A sub-sample of 1070 men from a larger sample (n=3039) were found to have one or more regular partners for longer than 6 months. Self-reported HIV serostatus of survey participant and his regular partner, type of agreement regarding anal intercourse both within and outside the regular relationship, and engaging in unprotected anal intercourse with regular and with casual partners were examined. Risk practice was defined as unprotected anal intercourse with a regular partner of different or unknown serostatus and/or unprotected anal intercourse with a casual partner. Agreements were classified as: negotiated safety (28.8%); no unprotected anal intercourse (33.6%); unsafe (10.6%) and no agreement (17.0%). Risk practice was reported by 17.8% of the men. Type of agreement was found to be the strongest predictor of risk practice. Negotiated safety agreements were common, and were kept on the whole. Men with unsafe agreements, although only a small proportion of men in relationships, had high levels of risk practice.

A case control analysis within an ongoing cohort study was used to examine differences between seroconverters and men who remained HIV-negative. The cases were interviewed within one to 13 months prior to their seroconversion. Their responses to a structured questionnaire were compared with those of HIV-negative controls drawn from the same time period and from the same longitudinal study, Sydney Men and Sexual Health. Data collected from both cases and controls included: demographic and contextual variables, knowledge of HIV transmission, sexual practices, drug and alcohol use and attitudinal factors. The aim was to compare the sexual behaviours, and the social and cultural contexts of such behaviours, of men prior to their HIV seroconversion with men who did not seroconvert. Twenty-three men had seroconverted within the cohort. Cases were identified by a positive HIV antibody test or self-report of positive HIV status following a previous negative HIV test. Three-hundred-and-sixty-nine controls were selected on the basis of being HIV negative at interview in 1994, and having at least one subsequent medically-confirmed negative HIV antibody test. Univariate predictors of seroconversion were: being in a regular relationship with a known HIV-positive partner, drug use, and engaging in a range of anal and esoteric sexual practices. Practices commonly used to enhance sexual pleasure, such as group sex, watching and being watched having sex, the use of sex toys and dressing up/fantasy, were engaged in more frequently by seroconverters. Engaging in these esoteric sexual practices was highly correlated with drug use, involvement in the gay community and engagement in a wide range of anal practices. In the multivariate analysis independent predictors of seroconversion were: younger age; being in a regular relationship with a known HIV-positive partner; believing withdrawal to be safe with regard to HIV transmission; and range of esoteric practices. These results indicate the importance of the social and cultural contexts of particular sexual practices and consequent HIV transmission. Sexually adventurous men may be at increased risk for HIV because they seek sex within particular sexual sub-cultures.