Condom use and sexual identity among men who have sex with men -- Dallas 1991.

Between January and June 1991 staff at a Dallas County Health Department clinic in Texas interviewed 540 men who had anal intercourse with other men and came to the clinic for anonymous HIV counseling and testing to learn the relationship between using safer sex practices and these mens sexual self-identity. 25 men considered themselves to be heterosexual. Men who reported to be homosexual or bisexual had a higher mean score of frequency of condom use than men who did not perceive themselves to be homosexual or bisexual (2.7 = most of the time vs. 0.9 = almost never; p <.0001). A significantly higher percentage of men who considered themselves to be heterosexuals never used condoms than those who considered themselves to homosexual or bisexual (64% vs. 16%; p < .001). Men who studies HIV/AIDS information in newspapers brochures or leaflets had a higher score of frequency of condom use than did those who did not study these materials (2.8 vs. 2.3; p < .01). Men who felt uncomfortable about telling their family about having had anal sex with men were less likely to use condoms consistently than men who felt comfortable (p < .02). Respondents who reported reading materials addressing homosexual issues had a higher score of frequency of condom use than those who did not read such materials (2.8 vs. 2.1; p < .001). These results indicated that men who had anal sex with other men but did not perceive themselves to be homosexual or bisexual tended not to adopt risk reduction behaviors. Therefore they were at greater risk for HIV infection and AIDS than those who were honest about their homosexuality or bisexuality.