Social and Sexual Contexts Explain Sexual Risk Taking in Young Gay, Bisexual, and Other Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, Ages 13-29 Years

This cross-sectional survey study is an analysis of the combined effects of contextual and personal factors in socialization, meeting of sexual partners, and sexual risk-taking among 529 young gay, bisexual, and other young men who have sex with men (ages 13-29 years). Results of binary logistic regression indicated that (a) the majority of the participants socialized outside of their home neighborhoods; (b) 13- to 20-year-olds utilized social circles to meet casual sex partners significantly more than 21- to 29-year-olds, who were more likely to make use of mainstream gay venues for this purpose; and (c) the participants who met sex partners at mainstream gay venues were less likely to engage in unprotected anal sex than those who partnered via the Internet.