Bisexuality among Men who have Sex with Men in Sub-Saharan Africa: Findings from the HPTN 075 Study.

Abstract

Studies among men who have sex with men (MSM) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) focus mainly on HIV epidemiology, revealing little about the diversity within this population. We utilized data from the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 075 study, to explore demographic and psychosexual characteristics of MSM in SSA who also have sex with women. Persons included in the analyses were aged 18-44 years and assigned male sex at birth and identified as male, reported anal sex with a man in the past 3 months, and had enrolled at one of four study sites (Kisumu, Kenya; Blantyre, Malawi; Cape Town and Soweto, South Africa). Nearly a quarter of the participants had recently engaged in sex with both men and women (MSMW). These men differed in terms of demographic and psychosexual characteristics, and sexual behavior from men who only had had sex with men (MSME). Compared to the latter, MSMW were more likely to prefer the insertive sexual role, reported more sexual partners in the past three months, and had more instances of condomless insertive anal intercourse with a man. These findings suggest that men who have sex with both men and women have specific characteristics and need tailored interventions that take their specific needs into account.