Similar sexual behaviors with casual partners among gay men with and without a regular partner.

Objectives: We hypothesized that men in a relationship would engage in less risky sexual activity with their casual partners compared to men with only casual partners.

Study: Cross-sectional data were collected between 1999 and 2003 in a study of young human immunodeficiency virus-seronegative gay men in Vancouver, British Columbia. We assessed the substance use and sexual behaviors of 156 men and compared those having casual partners in addition to 1 regular partner for the duration of the previous year (n = 43) to those reporting only casual partners during the previous year (n = 113).

Results: Men with just 1 regular partner were not significantly different from men without a regular partner with regard to sexual behaviors reportedly engaged in with casual partners, self-reported sexually transmitted infections diagnosed within the previous year, or demographic characteristics. Only previous use of poppers and higher frequencies of marijuana use were found among men without a regular partner.

Conclusions: In our cohort, young gay men in a relationship do not appear less likely to engage in risky sex with casual partners than men with casual partners only.