Prospective Predictors of Multiple Sexual Partners Among African American Men Who Have Sex with Men

Studies show that having sex with multiple partners increases the risk of acquiring and transmitting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. The present article reports prospective predictors of having multiple sexual partners among 505 African American men in Philadelphia who have sex with men (MSM) who participated in an intervention trial and attended a 6-month follow-up. Participants completed audio computer-assisted surveys of demographics, sexual behavior, and Reasoned Action Approach and Social Cognitive Theory mediators concerning multiple partners. We analyzed the incidence of self-reported multiple partners at the 6-month follow-up, controlling for treatment condition and baseline levels of the theoretical variables. The odds of having multiple partners decreased with increasing age (p < .03). Participants who said they were HIV positive had lower odds of having multiple partners (p < .009). The more pride participants reported in their identities as black or African American men, the lower the odds that they reported having multiple partners (p < .02). Adverse outcome expectancies accruing to multiple partners fully mediated the effect of black pride and partially mediated the effects of age on the odds of having multiple partners. Modifiable factors such as perceived negative outcome expectancies regarding having multiple sex partners should be addressed in designing interventions and prevention programs with the goal of decreasing the number of sexual partners among African American MSM.