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Perspectives from Young Partnered Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men on the Adaptation of Couples HIV Testing and Counseling (CHTC)

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Abstract

Young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (YGBMSM) are a priority population for HIV prevention efforts. Although there has been a growing focus on dyadic HIV prevention interventions for same-gender male couples, the unique needs of partnered YGBMSM have been largely overlooked. In this qualitative study, we explored partnered YGBMSM’s perceptions of existing HIV prevention interventions to inform the design of a relationship-focused HIV prevention intervention. Between July and November 2018, we conducted in-depth interviews with 30 young partnered YGBMSM (mean age = 17.8, SD = 1.1). Participants described that interventions were needed to address skills regarding: (1) implicit versus explicit communication about sexual agreements; (2) boundary setting and identifying signs of abusive relationships; and (3) relationship dynamics (e.g., trust). Participants noted the absence of inclusive sexual education for them; thus, findings suggest that the provision of relationship skills training are requisites for HIV prevention interventions with YGBMSM in the US.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the young men who participated in this study; and staff members: Matthew Rosso, Catherine Washington, Kristina Felder-Claude, and Ramona Rai for their contributions to this study. The authors are also grateful to Dr. Sonia Lee for her support of this project. This study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (U19HD89881).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029d, USA

    Kristi E. Gamarel

  2. The Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Kristi E. Gamarel, Lynae A. Darbes & Rob Stephenson

  3. Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Lynae A. Darbes & Oksana Kutsa

  4. Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Oksana Kutsa

  5. Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Lisa B. Hightow-Weidman

  6. Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Patrick Sullivan

  7. Department of Systems, Population and Leadership, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Rob Stephenson

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  1. Kristi E. Gamarel
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Correspondence to Kristi E. Gamarel.

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Gamarel, K.E., Darbes, L.A., Kutsa, O. et al. Perspectives from Young Partnered Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men on the Adaptation of Couples HIV Testing and Counseling (CHTC). AIDS Behav 25, 836–846 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-03037-3

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