HIV Transmission Risk at a Gay Bathhouse

Abstract

Previous research found up to 14% of men who go to bathhouses engage in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) and tend to have multiple sexual partners during their bathhouse visit, thus appearing to support concerns that such venues could foster acute outbreaks of new HIV infections. We conducted a two-stage probability sample of men exiting a gay bathhouse and focused our analysis on whether the partnering patterns of the men who engaged in UAI present such a risk. Among patrons who had oral or anal sex during their visit (n=758), 16.7% were HIV-positive and 13.9% engaged in UAI. Although men had multiple sex partners during a visit, they had UAI with only one of those partners on average, and withdrawal prior to ejaculation occurred in the vast majority of UAI incidences. Thus, the risk of sexual transmission of HIV during the bathhouse visit was typically within isolated dyads rather than patterns of multiple sexual encounters that might put many men at risk during a single visit, and men who did engage in UAI tended to withdraw prior to ejaculation, potentially mitigating the risk of HIV transmission.

Sexual practices and sex-seeking behaviours among East and Southeast Asian men who have sex with men in Toronto: Implications for HIV prevention

“…This finding is consistent with prior research, which showed that MSM who seek sex online or in bathhouses tend to have a high number of sexual partners and a high rate of unprotected anal sex (Binson, Pollack, Blair, & Woods, 2010;Liau, Millett & Marks, 2006;Reidy et al, 2009;Woods et al, 2007). Moreover, our findings reveal that those who use both bathhouses and the internet to seek sex and those who use bathhouses only to seek sex are more likely to have prior HIV and STI testing, casual sex and a higher number of sex partners when compared to those who use only the internet to seek sex.…”

Presence of an HIV Testing Program Lowers the Prevalence of Unprotected Insertive Anal Intercourse Inside a Gay Bathhouse Among HIV-Negative and HIV-Unknown Patrons

“…It is useful to consider the pattern of results in the context of previously published data about sexual risk behavior inside this bathhouse (Binson et al, 2010; Woods et al, 2007). Fewer than 14% of patrons reported any UAI during their visit, and the rate of UAI was more than 3 times higher among HIV-positive men (28%) than among non-positive men (8%) (Woods et al, 2007).…”

“…Fewer than 14% of patrons reported any UAI during their visit, and the rate of UAI was more than 3 times higher among HIV-positive men (28%) than among non-positive men (8%) (Woods et al, 2007). This disparity suggests seroadaptive behaviors like serosorting and seropostioning (Snowden, Raymond, & McFarland, 2009) are being employed, although in the largely anonymous bathhouse context a partner’s serostatus is less likely to be known and more likely to be attributed based on the kind of sexual behavior he is willing to engage in (Binson et al, 2010). Among non-positive men who engage in anal intercourse during their bathhouse visit, the insertive UAI rate (18%) was more than double the rate for receptive UAI (8%) (Binson et al, 2010).…”

“…The same sampling methodology was used again in the same bathhouse in the last 5 weeks of 2002 (N=412) when HIV testing was offered on-site 3–6 hours a day, 5 days a week (Binson, Pollack, Blair, & Woods, 2010). …”

Social Media and HIV/AIDS: Implications for Social Work Education

“…One such group accessing social media is individuals at risk of HIV/AIDS (Kelly, 2004). Health workers have traditionally delivered information on HIV/AIDS education and prevention in physical locations such as bathhouses and clubs (Binson, Pollack, Blair, & Woods, 2010). However, the Internet is increasingly being used as a venue where individuals at risk of HIV/AIDS may meet others with low social risk of negative social consequences, access information, and form social relationships (Chiasson et al, 2007;Rhodes, 2004).…”