Background

After decades of navigating HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, gay and bisexual men are responding to new and uncertain risks presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by adapting their sexual behavior.

Methods

This paper uses data from a national sample of 728 gay and bisexual men collected from April 10 to May 10, 2020, to examine changes to sexual behavior in response to the first wave of the pandemic in the USA. We also assess whether behavior modifications are associated with exposure to statewide public health measures, including Stay-at-Home orders.

Results

Sexual minority men report significant changes to their sexual behavior and partner selection during the first wave. Nine out of 10 men reported having either one sexual partner or no sexual partner in the last 30 days at the time of interview, a decrease compared to just before the pandemic for nearly half of men surveyed. Reporting no sexual partners in the last 30 days was significantly predicted by increased exposure to a Stay-at-Home order. Sexual minority men also reduced interactions with casual partners, increased no-contact sexual behaviors (e.g., masturbation and virtual sex), and engaged in new strategies to reduce their risks of infection from partners. HIV-positive men were particularly likely to adopt strategies including avoiding casual partners and avoiding public transportation to meet sexual partners.

Conclusion

Sexual minority men’s behavior changes during the first wave may have reduced the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their communities. Despite substantial changes in sexual behavior for most men in our sample during the initial first wave, we identify some concerns around the sustainability of certain behavioral changes over time and nondisclosure of COVID-19 symptoms to partners.

中文翻译：

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美国第一波 COVID-19 大流行期间男同性恋和双性恋男性的性行为变化

背景

经过数十年与艾滋病毒和其他性传播感染的斗争，同性恋和双性恋男性正在通过调整性行为来应对冠状病毒 (COVID-19) 大流行带来的新的和不确定的风险。

方法

本文使用 2020 年 4 月 10 日至 5 月 10 日期间收集的 728 名同性恋和双性恋男性全国样本数据，来研究美国因应对第一波疫情而发生的性行为变化。我们还评估行为改变是否与接受全州公共卫生措施（包括居家令）有关。

结果

性少数男性表示，在第一波浪潮中，他们的性行为和伴侣选择发生了重大变化。十分之九的男性表示在接受采访时的过去 30 天内有一个性伴侣或没有性伴侣，这一比例与疫情爆发前相比有所下降，近一半的受访男性比例有所下降。报告在过去 30 天内没有性伴侣的情况与“居家令”暴露的增加显着相关。性少数男性还减少了与临时伴侣的互动，增加了非接触性行为（例如手淫和虚拟性行为），并采取新策略来降低被伴侣感染的风险。艾滋病毒呈阳性的男性特别有可能采取的策略包括避开临时伴侣和避免乘坐公共交通工具去见性伴侣。

结论

性少数男性在第一波浪潮中的行为变化可能减少了冠状病毒大流行对其社区的影响。尽管在最初的第一波浪潮中，我们样本中的大多数男性的性行为发生了巨大变化，但我们对某些行为变化随着时间的推移的可持续性以及不向伴侣透露 COVID-19 症状的担忧感到担忧。