Abstract
Sex parties are environments where men who have sex with men (MSM) have the opportunity to have sex with multiple partners over a brief period of time. Dim lighting and nonverbal communication are the characteristics of sex parties that make sexual communication more challenging. We report on qualitative data from 47 MSM who attended sex parties in New York City. Participants responded to distinct hypothetical scenarios involving the use of color-coded wristbands to communicate (1) condom use preferences, (2) sexual position (e.g., top, bottom), and (3) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status at sex parties. The majority had positive-to-neutral attitudes toward color-coded wristbands to indicate (1) condom use preference and (2) sexual position (70.8, 75.0 % HIV positive; 63.6, 81.8 %, HIV negative, respectively). These men cited that wristbands would facilitate the process of pursuing partners with similar interests while also avoiding the discomforts of verbal communication. In contrast, 41.7 % of HIV-positive and 50.0 % of HIV-negative men expressed unfavorable attitudes to using wristbands to communicate HIV status. These men cited the potential for HIV-status discrimination as well as suspicions around dishonest disclosure. Although participants were receptive to utilizing color-coded wristbands at sex parties to convey certain information, it may be unfeasible to use wristbands to communicate HIV status.
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Acknowledgments
Project Score was funded by the National Institutes of Health (SC2 AI 090923: PI—Christian Grov), and research activities were conducted at the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST). Special thanks to the study team: Michael Adams, Linda Agyemang, Bryant Porter, Ruben Jimenez, Aaron S. Breslow, Sarit A. Golub, Sitaji Gurung, Kevin Robin, Amy LeClair, Kristi Gamarel, Chris Hietikko, Anna Johnson, H. Jonathon Rendina, Arjee Restar, Joel Rowe, Inna Saboshchuk, Anthony Surace, Ana Ventuneac, Andrea C. Vial, and the recruitment staff. Finally, a special thanks to Joana Roe at NIAID. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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Grov, C., Cruz, J. & Parsons, J.T. Men Who Have Sex with Men’s Attitudes Toward Using Color-Coded Wristbands to Facilitate Sexual Communication at Sex Parties. Sex Res Soc Policy 11, 11–19 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-014-0145-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-014-0145-x