Assisting gay men to maintain safer sex: an evaluation of an AIDS service organization's safer sex maintenance program.

As the second decade of the AIDS crisis unfolds, increasing concern has been raised that the widespread adoption of condom use that occurred among gay men in the 1980s is not being maintained. Most interventions to promote condom use among gay men are delivered by community-based organizations via programs that are virtually undocumented; little is known about their effectiveness, or the processes by which they may work. This study describes safer sex practices among self-identified gay men following their participation in an intervention developed and implemented by a community-based organization. The intervention was designed to enhance men's attitudes, beliefs, and self-efficacy expectations to maintain safer sex. Among 150 men with complete data at both assessments, self-reported condom use was low. Men reported using condoms more consistently for anal sexual behavior than oral sexual behavior, but there were men who reported consistent unprotected anal sexual intercourse. The intervention had little impact on patterns of behavior over time, although desired changes in attitudes, beliefs, and self-efficacy expectations were evidenced following the intervention. The results suggest the importance of assisting community-based organizations to document program models. Findings also suggest that community-based organizations can develop interventions to successfully enhance factors that theoretically support maintenance of safer sexual behaviors.