Sexual behavior patterns of gay university men: Implications for preventing HIV infection

Gay male university students less than 25 years old were studied to determine whether they had changed their sexual activity patterns to reduce the risk of HIV infection. Most had not established sexual behavior patterns typical of the older gay men who had been studied in earlier research. Although most of the participants surveyed were concerned about HIV infection, some did engage in risky sexual behavior. The risk- reduction strategies most often used were having fewer sexual partners and being more selective in choosing partners. Future HIV-prevention interventions must be designed to address the needs of this generation of gay men.