HIV + Sex: The Psychosocial And Interpersonal Dynamics Of Hiv-seropositive Gay And Bisexual Men’s Relationships

HIV is no longer a death sentence, and persons with HIV are living longer, healthier and more sexually active lives. Nevertheless, the sexual practices of gay and bisexual men living with HIV have largely been ignored or demonized. Much prior study has either treated HIV seropositive persons as asexual, failing to acknowledge their sexual desires and behaviors, or viewed this population’s sexuality only in terms of its potential for spreading disease. These limited views have resulted in a significant lapse in clinical understanding of the challenges faced by HIV-positive men seeking active and vital sexual lives.

HIV+ Sex illuminates the struggles faced by HIV-positive gay and bisexual men as sexual beings, but also describes the myriad ways in which many of these men are able to celebrate their sexuality. Giving voice to the stories of hundreds of seropositive individuals, the editors and contributors explore how gay and bisexual men live with HIV and make decisions about sex, express their sexuality, choose their sexual partners, and balance their physical and emotional health while attempting to maintain viable and responsible sex lives. The personal narratives, in addition to featured findings of extensive behavioral research studies, provide orientation and valuable insight for studying and working with this population.

This distinctive and timely volume offers meaningful and practical information for anyone working with HIV seropositive gay and bisexual men in both research and service domains.

Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, is a health and educational psychologist and research methodologist, as well as an associate professor and chair of applied psychology at New York University and codirector of the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training. His research has focused on prevention for HIV-positive individuals, HIV treatment and adherence issues, and methamphetamine and other club-drug use in the gay community, among other issues. He was the recipient of the 1999 American Psychological Foundation Placek Award, the New York University 1999 Daniel E. Griffith’s Research Award, the 2002 APA Emerging Leader award, and the 2002 APA Award for Distinguished Contribution to Research in the lesbian gay bisexual transgender community. He received his doctorate in educational psychology from the City University of New York.

Cynthia A. Gomez, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine and codirector of the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at the University of California, San Francisco. Her scientific work has focused on the development of HIV prevention interventions for diverse populations as well as on the influence of social factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, and class on sexual behaviors. She has served on several national committees, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HIV and STD Advisory Council and the APA Committee on Psychology and AIDS. She served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS under the Clinton and latter Bush administrations. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Boston University.

Richard J. Wolitski, PhD, serves as chief of the Community Intervention Research Section, Prevention Research Branch, Division of HIV and AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His research is devoted to furthering an ecological understanding of HIV risk in vulnerable populations and applying this knowledge to developing effective and sustainable interventions that limit the further spread of HIV. Following his own diagnosis with HIV in 1994, his work began to focus on psychological and interpersonal factors that affect HIV-positive individuals’ risk of acquiring or transmitting sexually transmitted infections. This experience motivated him to author the program announcement under which the Seropositive Urban Men’s Study was funded in 1996. He received his doctorate in community psychology from Georgia State University.