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The authors introduced their report
by stating that gay men continue to experience “a disproportionate burden of
HIV.” The researchers set out to determine whether there is a link between age
at first anal intercourse (AFAI) and gay men’s vulnerability to HIV and STIs,
as well as tendencies to participate in higher-risk sexual behavior.
A nationwide, cross-sectional online
survey polled 845 Australian gay men born between 1944 and 1993. A total of 822
men reported having had anal intercourse. The median AFAI ranged from 35 years
for men born between 1944 and 1953 to 18 years for men born between 1984 and
1993. Among those who had experienced anal sex, the results showed HIV-positive
men were on average “significantly younger” at first anal intercourse (18.5
years) compared to HIV-negative men (21.3 years) (p
The authors highlighted the
association between AFAI and recent higher-risk sexual behavior. AFAI was
generally lower among men who reported more than 10 sex partners in the past
year (P
The team concluded that the survey
revealed “strong links between [AFAI] and future sexual health and behavior.”
Among participants, “those who became HIV-positive, engaged in higher risk
sexual behavior and reported other poorer sexual health outcomes tended to have
had their first anal intercourse at a younger age than other men.”
Given that the median age of sexual
debut continues to decline, “clinicians and other health service providers, as
well as researchers, need to pay particular attention to gay men’s earliest
sexual experiences,” the authors wrote. “In particular, men who report having
anal intercourse at a young age are likely to be at heightened HIV
vulnerability and therefore require additional education and support for
ensuring a healthier sex life. Further education around safer sex practices
that specifically targets gay-identified youth may also be required to ensure
their sexual debut does not lead to poorer sexual health outcomes.”
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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