Abstract
A sexual marathon is defined as prolonged sexual activity over hours and even days. This exploratory study examined the phenomenon of sexual marathons in a sample of 341 HIV-positive methamphetamine-using men who have sex with men (MSM). Eighty-four percent of the men reported engaging in marathon sex while high on methamphetamine. MSM who engaged in sexual marathons and those who did not were compared in terms of background characteristics, methamphetamine use variables, alcohol and illicit drug use, sexual risk behaviors, and psychosocial factors. Men who engaged in marathon sex used significantly more illicit drugs, were more likely to use sildenafil (Viagra®) and amyl nitrates, and scored higher on a sexual compulsivity scale compared to men who did not engage in marathon sex. In multivariate analyses, use of sildenafil in the past two months was significantly correlated with participation in sexual marathons. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for HIV/STI prevention and intervention.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the participants in our study for their time and support for this project, and Brian R. Kelly for assistance with editing. Support for this work was provided, in part, by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), Grant 1 R01 DA021115-01 (Behavior Change and Maintenance Intervention for HIV+ MSM Methamphetamine Users); the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Grant 1 R01 MH61146-06 (Reducing HIV/STD Risk, Methamphetamine Use, and Depression Among Heterosexuals); and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9338-9
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Semple, S.J., Zians, J., Strathdee, S.A. et al. Sexual Marathons and Methamphetamine Use among HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men. Arch Sex Behav 38, 583–590 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9292-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9292-y