204631 Characteristics of sex parties and Latino MSM who attend them

Tuesday, November 10, 2009: 9:10 AM

Felisa A. Gonzales, BA , Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Sarah K. Calabrese, MPhil , Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC
María Cecilia Zea, PhD , Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Carol A. Reisen, PhD , Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Paul J. Poppen, PhD , Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Fernanda T. Bianchi, PhD , Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC
  
Background: Sex party attendance has been associated with increased sexual risk behavior among gay men. The current study sought to characterize sex parties and to compare the sexual histories of Latino MSM who had previously attended sex parties and those who had not.

Methods: Immigrant Latino MSM (n=482) were surveyed about their sexual health and behavior using A-CASI.

Results: Approximately one in five participants reported ever having had a sexual experience they labeled as a sex party in their lifetime. Sex parties were commonly held at partners' houses (16%) or saunas (16%), learned about via friends or others (53%), and attended by 20 or fewer people (76%). All participants who had attended a sex party reported at least one sexual partner during the event, and 84% reported two or more. Over 26% of participants who had attended a sex party engaged in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) during the party, and were more likely to do so if the party was themed according to serostatus. Compared to participants who had never attended a sex party, those who had were significantly more likely to have engaged in UAI sometime during the preceding three months and to have had syphilis, herpes, and hepatitis at some point during their lives.

Conclusions: The sex parties described by participants in this sample provided occasions for multiple sexual encounters, of which a fourth were unprotected. Further research is warranted to understand the implications of serostatus for sexual risk and sexual decision-making among Latino MSM attending sex parties.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the characteristics of events defined as ‘sex parties’ by Latino MSM in NY 2. Recognize how contextual factors impact engagement in anal intercourse (protected and unprotected) at sex parties 3. Identify two primary ways in which Latino MSM who had attended at least one sex party differed from those who had not

Keywords: Latino, Sexual Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: GWU graduate student in applied social psychology; Member of the GWU Latino Health Research Center
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men in Context
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