Predictors of Sexual Risk in Latino Gay/Bisexual Men: The Role of Demographic, Developmental, Social Cognitive, and Behavioral Variables

Abstract

This study examined four types of predictors of sexual risk within a sample of 110 predominantly English-speaking Latino gay/bisexual men residing in the city of San Francisco. More than one fourth of the sample reported at least one instance of unprotected anal intercourse in the last 30 days; one fifth of the sample reported unprotected anal intercourse with a nonmonogamous sexual partner within the same time period. Findings suggest that weak personal intentions for safer sex and low levels of perceived self-efficacy are associated with risky sexual practices. In addition, a history of sexual abuse in childhood, drug use during sexual activity, and frequency of sex in public cruising environments emerged as significant predictors of sexual risk. Multivariate analyses indicated that a four-predictor model (including a young age, low levels of intention/self-efficacy, a high frequency of sex under the influence of drugs, and a high frequency of sex with nonmonogamous partners) is the most parsimonious model to predict sexual risk in this population. A history of childhood sexual abuse correlated positively with all predictors of risk in the model, except age.