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Sexual Behaviors of Non-gay Identified Non-disclosing Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women

  • Original Paper: Black and Latino Male Bisexualities Special Section
  • Published:
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Abstract

The sexual behaviors of non-gay identified men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) who do not disclose their same-sex behavior to their female partners (referred to by some as men “on the down low”) were examined, including the potential for these men to serve as a “bisexual bridge” for HIV and STD acquisition and transmission. Self-reported sexual behavior data were collected as part of an exploratory study of an ethnically diverse (41% African American, 35% Latino, 22% White, and 2% Asian) sample of 46 non-gay identified, non-disclosing MSMW in New York City. Men reported significantly more male than female sexual partners, but more frequent sex with females. The prevalence and frequency of unprotected sex did not differ significantly between male and female partners in the past 3 months. Men reported risk behavior more often with steady female and steady male partners (e.g., wives, girlfriends, boyfriends) than with more casual male and female partners (regular uncommitted partners, one-night stands). Men, especially African American/Black men, were significantly less likely to report receptive sexual behaviors with men than insertive behaviors. Unprotected sex was common with male and female partners in the past 3 months (e.g., 35% of anal sex with men; 50% of vaginal sex). Indeed, 22% of the sample (38% of those who had both recent males and female partners) reported both unprotected vaginal sex and unprotected anal sex with a male partner during the past 3 months. Although the study was limited by a small convenience sample, the findings suggest that non-gay identified non-disclosing MSMW are at risk for the acquisition and transmission of HIV and STDs, and may serve as a potential bridge, suggesting the need for further research and intervention targeting this unique population.

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Notes

  1. Of the 32 men who were determined to be ineligible, 6 had not had sex with a wife or girlfriend in the past year, 8 had not had sex with a man in the past year, 2 identified as gay or homosexual, and 16 had told one or more of their female sexual partners that he has sex with men.

  2. In order to maintain a sample balanced by race/ethnicity (approximately one-third each of African American/Black, Latino, and White men) and in order to achieve greater diversity in the sample on other characteristics (e.g., marital status, sexual identity, and HIV status), we over-sampled for White, Latino, married, straight-identified, and HIV-positive men, and did not interview additional men whose characteristics were already well-represented in the sample (e.g., African American/Black, bisexually-identified, non-married, and HIV-negative).

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank David Bimbi and Christian Grov for their generous assistance in the study implementation, Edward Clark for his assistance in data collection, and the project staff for recruiting these men with exceptional dedication and sensitivity. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the inaugural conference of the University Consortium for Sexuality Research and Training held at The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Psychosocial Study of Health and Illness, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 100 Haven Avenue, Suite 6A, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Karolynn Siegel, Eric W. Schrimshaw & Helen-Maria Lekas

  2. Doctoral Program in Psychology, The City University of New York–Graduate Center, New York, NY, USA

    Eric W. Schrimshaw & Jeffrey T. Parsons

  3. Department of Psychology, The City University of New York–Hunter College, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons

  4. Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons

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  1. Karolynn Siegel
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  2. Eric W. Schrimshaw
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  4. Jeffrey T. Parsons
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Correspondence to Karolynn Siegel.

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Siegel, K., Schrimshaw, E.W., Lekas, HM. et al. Sexual Behaviors of Non-gay Identified Non-disclosing Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women. Arch Sex Behav 37, 720–735 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9357-6

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