AIDS-relevant condom use by gay and bisexual men: the role of person variables and the interpersonal situation.

This study examined the relative ability of selected person variables (interpersonal self-efficacy, self-control, attitudes about the effect of condoms on sex, normative beliefs) and interpersonal-situational variables (partner preference, partner serostatus) to explain gay and bisexual males' (N = 267) condom use during insertive and receptive intercourse. Partner preference accounted for a large amount of variance in condom use by itself and when controlling for the effects of the remaining variables. Exploratory hierarchical regression analyses suggested that the receptive partner's preference influenced condom use decisions to a greater extent than did the insertive partner's. Partner serostatus alone explained little variance in condom use. However, partners serostatus interacted with subject serostatus such that dyads with concordance serostatus (i.e., both partners HIV positive or both HIV negative) used condoms the least, and dyads with discordant serostatus used condoms the most. Results suggest that the interpersonal situation plays an important role in condom use decisions.