Study reveals how many gay men didn't use a condom the last time they had sex

A new study into gay men’s sexual habits has revealed that one in three admit they didn’t use a condom the last time they had sex.

The Gay Men’s Health Charity (GMFA) has published the findings of biggest ever survey into gay men’s sex lives, with over 3000 respondents answering questions on everything from their to use of hook-up apps, condoms, partner numbers and feelings about PrEP.

Just 66% of respondents who identified as HIV-negative said they used a condom with their last casual partner. The results come just months after new figures were published showing number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) being spread among men who have sex with men (MSMs) is soaring, despite declining across England as a whole.

According to the GMFA’s ‘Big Gay Sex Survey’:

Less than 50% had had more than five sexual partners in the last year
55% described themselves as ‘versatile’
58% had had sex in the last week
37% said met their most recent sexual partner via an app
14% said they did not remember the name of the last person they had sex with
51% of gay men who have not been diagnosed with HIV admitted that they were worried about becoming HIV-positive
44% of gay men who have not been diagnosed with HIV said that they would not have sex with someone if they were HIV-positive
23% of gay men who have not been diagnosed with HIV did not know what undetectable viral load is.
71% of gay men said they would use PrEP right now if it were available on the NHS.
90% of HIV-positive men used a condom with a casual partner compared to 66% of HIV-negative men who said they didn’t use a condom.
Less than a third of HIV negative respondents say they would have with someone with HIV
90% of gay men with HIV said that they used condoms the last time they had anal sex with a casual partner, compared to just 34% of the men who believed themselves to be HIV-negative.

GMFA’s Chief Executive said Matthew Hodson said of the findings: “This illustrates that there is still a need for more information about HIV in the treatment era and that given the right information we can change not only attitudes but also behavior.”

He added: “Our community remains plagued by low self-esteem, leaving many vulnerable to harmful drug taking and alcohol use. For many gay men expressing intimacy is a major challenge and all of these factors play a role in the poor sexual health that still besets our community.

“We’ve come a long way but so long as these health inequalities persist, we are not equal.”

Meanwhile, sexual health experts have put the UK on a ‘national alert’ after confirming that an outbreak of highly drug-resistant ‘super-gonorrhoea’ has hit the north of England – find out more here.

The full results of the GMFA’s ‘Big Gay Sex Survey’ are published in new issue of FS Magazine, available to download now.

Study reveals how many gay men didn’t use a condom the last time they had sex

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