Sexual agreements between men in relationships

The range of sexual agreements among gay men regarding anal intercourse is explored. The article focuses on negotiated safety, and the results of a recent study on this type of agreement and its relation to risk behavior. When sexual partners engage in negotiated safety agreements, they usually do not practice unsafe sex. Successful negotiated safety agreements require reliable information regarding serostatus, as well as open and honest communication relating to the agreement. The advent of new treatments and the emergence of viral load testing potentially increase the complexity of negotiated agreements due to differing interpretations of HIV-seropositive status. Continuing research is needed to investigate what understandings gay men have regarding the new treatments, whether they incorporate these understandings into their agreements, and what happens to their sexual practice in this new context.