Gay Men Associate Oral Sex With Far Less Risk Than Women & Straight Men
Tue. May 31, 2005 12:00 AM by GayWebMonkey.com
Despite research showing that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS can be transmitted through unprotected oral sex*, 18-24 year old gay men see it as far less dangerous than women and straight men. According to the 2005 Trojan® Sexual Health Monitor, while most women (82 percent) and six in 10 straight men (60 percent) believe unprotected oral sex carries a high risk, an alarmingly low number (45 percent) of gay men believe it is a risky behavior, and only seven percent say they use a condom during oral sex.
While gay men say they understand the risks associated with unprotected anal sex, this group admits to doing an inadequate job of protecting themselves. The overwhelming majority (81 percent) say they are concerned about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS, and almost all (97 percent) believe unprotected anal sex carries a high risk of transmission. But their belief and their behavior are two vastly different things, with barely half (51 percent) claiming they always or often use a condom during anal sex. And startlingly, one in five (22 percent) respondents say they never or rarely use a condom.
The second annual national survey of sexual health attitudes of men and women 18-24, conducted for Trojan brand Condoms by StrategyOne, shows that gay men are more likely to say they believe that HIV can be easily treated with medication (51 percent) - a stark contrast to women (24 percent) and straight men (27 percent).
"What's clear from these findings is that some gay men continue to be complacent when it comes to safer sex," said Dr. Drew Pinsky, celebrity sex educator and author. "That some understand the risks but aren't doing much about it should sound some significant alarm bells for the gay community. There needs to be a renewed commitment to drastically change behavior to ensure consistent use of condoms for each act of sex, including oral sex."
The majority (71 percent) say that - of all STDs - they are most concerned about HIV/AIDS, and most believe the risks of contracting HIV/AIDS has increased greatly over the past few years (58 percent). They believe this is due in large part to people not using condoms enough (80 percent), having more sexual partners (66 percent), and that there is greater ignorance about how HIV/AIDS is spread (45 percent).
More Messages Needed
The safer sex message does not seem to be reinforced through the media and may not be strong enough to spur action. More than six in 10 say that network television offers an overly sanitized image of sex (65 percent), with just 29 percent saying that TV portrays the way people their age actually have sex.
"There should be more effective and direct safer sex messages - not fewer - in the media," Pinsky continued. "While young gay men are seeking information on the Internet, they are not getting it through other forms of traditional media. And if safer sex isn't being portrayed accurately on TV, many younger gay men are going to miss the importance of such a message, and may not fully appreciate the risk."
Sex education is another way young people receive safer sex messages, and gay men believe it is a vital resource. While only 60 percent say they received useful information about safer sex and STDs in school, almost all believe there should be some sex education in schools. The majority (75 percent) says it would be helpful to have a comprehensive program in schools that includes both information about safer sex and abstinence.
"This study proved very enlightening and concerning. We learned that gay men understand the risks involved with both anal and oral sex. But the truly alarming finding is that, despite this understanding, gay men are not doing enough to protect themselves. It's our goal to help them move from intent to action," said Jim Daniels, vice president of marketing for Trojan. "As a company, we strive to help educate people about the risks involved with unprotected sex in a way that connects with them, personalizes their risk and provides a pleasurable and trusted means of protection."
One of the top reasons why gay men say they don't use condoms for oral sex is that they don't want to taste the condom - 62 percent, as compared to 41 percent for women. To counter this and increase condom usage during oral sex, Trojan® recently introduced Mint Tingle(tm), the brand's first flavored condom, which features a food-grade mint flavor (that actually tastes good), minty aroma, bright green color, and a non-oily-feeling, water-based lubricant.
Consumers can log on to www.trojancondoms.com for more information and to request free samples of new Trojan Mint Tingle.
* About the 2005 Trojan Sexual Health Monitor
The 2005 Trojan Sexual Health Monitor is the second annual national survey of the sexual health attitudes of young American adults. On behalf of Trojan, StrategyOne conducted a quantitative online study among 2506 young adults aged 18 to 24. The sample is weighted to be representative of 18 to 24 year olds nationwide. The margin of error is ±2.0 at the 95% confidence level, which means that in 95 out of 100 times when a sample of this size is drawn, the results would not vary by more than 2.0 percentage points in either direction. Of the total respondents, 74 percent are currently or have been sexually active in the past; 26 percent have never been; 51 percent are male and 49 percent are female; 54 percent are aged 18 to 21 and 46 percent are aged 22 to 24.
While gay men say they understand the risks associated with unprotected anal sex, this group admits to doing an inadequate job of protecting themselves. The overwhelming majority (81 percent) say they are concerned about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS, and almost all (97 percent) believe unprotected anal sex carries a high risk of transmission. But their belief and their behavior are two vastly different things, with barely half (51 percent) claiming they always or often use a condom during anal sex. And startlingly, one in five (22 percent) respondents say they never or rarely use a condom.
The second annual national survey of sexual health attitudes of men and women 18-24, conducted for Trojan brand Condoms by StrategyOne, shows that gay men are more likely to say they believe that HIV can be easily treated with medication (51 percent) - a stark contrast to women (24 percent) and straight men (27 percent).
"What's clear from these findings is that some gay men continue to be complacent when it comes to safer sex," said Dr. Drew Pinsky, celebrity sex educator and author. "That some understand the risks but aren't doing much about it should sound some significant alarm bells for the gay community. There needs to be a renewed commitment to drastically change behavior to ensure consistent use of condoms for each act of sex, including oral sex."
The majority (71 percent) say that - of all STDs - they are most concerned about HIV/AIDS, and most believe the risks of contracting HIV/AIDS has increased greatly over the past few years (58 percent). They believe this is due in large part to people not using condoms enough (80 percent), having more sexual partners (66 percent), and that there is greater ignorance about how HIV/AIDS is spread (45 percent).
More Messages Needed
The safer sex message does not seem to be reinforced through the media and may not be strong enough to spur action. More than six in 10 say that network television offers an overly sanitized image of sex (65 percent), with just 29 percent saying that TV portrays the way people their age actually have sex.
"There should be more effective and direct safer sex messages - not fewer - in the media," Pinsky continued. "While young gay men are seeking information on the Internet, they are not getting it through other forms of traditional media. And if safer sex isn't being portrayed accurately on TV, many younger gay men are going to miss the importance of such a message, and may not fully appreciate the risk."
Sex education is another way young people receive safer sex messages, and gay men believe it is a vital resource. While only 60 percent say they received useful information about safer sex and STDs in school, almost all believe there should be some sex education in schools. The majority (75 percent) says it would be helpful to have a comprehensive program in schools that includes both information about safer sex and abstinence.
"This study proved very enlightening and concerning. We learned that gay men understand the risks involved with both anal and oral sex. But the truly alarming finding is that, despite this understanding, gay men are not doing enough to protect themselves. It's our goal to help them move from intent to action," said Jim Daniels, vice president of marketing for Trojan. "As a company, we strive to help educate people about the risks involved with unprotected sex in a way that connects with them, personalizes their risk and provides a pleasurable and trusted means of protection."
One of the top reasons why gay men say they don't use condoms for oral sex is that they don't want to taste the condom - 62 percent, as compared to 41 percent for women. To counter this and increase condom usage during oral sex, Trojan® recently introduced Mint Tingle(tm), the brand's first flavored condom, which features a food-grade mint flavor (that actually tastes good), minty aroma, bright green color, and a non-oily-feeling, water-based lubricant.
Consumers can log on to www.trojancondoms.com for more information and to request free samples of new Trojan Mint Tingle.
* About the 2005 Trojan Sexual Health Monitor
The 2005 Trojan Sexual Health Monitor is the second annual national survey of the sexual health attitudes of young American adults. On behalf of Trojan, StrategyOne conducted a quantitative online study among 2506 young adults aged 18 to 24. The sample is weighted to be representative of 18 to 24 year olds nationwide. The margin of error is ±2.0 at the 95% confidence level, which means that in 95 out of 100 times when a sample of this size is drawn, the results would not vary by more than 2.0 percentage points in either direction. Of the total respondents, 74 percent are currently or have been sexually active in the past; 26 percent have never been; 51 percent are male and 49 percent are female; 54 percent are aged 18 to 21 and 46 percent are aged 22 to 24.
Article provided in partnership with GayWebMonkey.com.