Effects of disengagement coping with HIV risk on unprotected sex among HIV-negative gay men in New York City.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined how disengagement coping with HIV risk mediated the association between internalized homophobia and unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) and how sexual encounters in public venues (public sex) and drug use moderated the association between disengagement coping and UAI among HIV-negative gay men. Disengagement coping included fatalistic beliefs about maintaining HIV-negative seronegative serostatus (fatalism), optimistic attitudes toward medical seriousness of HIV infection and reduced concern about HIV risk due to highly active anti-retroviral therapies (optimism), and negative affective states associated with sexual risk (anxiety).

DESIGN

A survey was conducted among 285 HIV-negative gay men at an HIV prevention counseling program in New York City.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Sexual risk was defined as having had UAI with nonprimary partners in the past 6 months.

RESULTS

In addition to the positive association between internalized homophobia, disengagement coping, and UAI, fatalism mediated the association between internalized homophobia and UAI; and optimism mediated the association between anxiety and UAI. A significant moderation effect of public sex was found between fatalism and UAI.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the importance of understanding disengagement coping as it affects sexual risk practices among HIV-negative gay men in the continuing epidemic.