Are bisexually active men a ‘bridge’ for HIV transmission to the ‘general population’ in Germany? Data from the European Men-Who-Have-Sex-With-Men Internet Survey (EMIS)

Abstract

To assess the situation of bisexually active men in the German HIV epidemic, data from a 2010 internet survey about sexual health among men who have sex with men were used to assess HIV testing rates, condom use and risk contact among the following groups of respondents: bisexually active single men, bisexually active men with a regular female partner, bisexually active men with a regular male partner and exclusively homosexually active men. Of the 54,387 respondents from Germany, 12% reported having sex contacts with both men and women in the previous year. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the sample's socio-demographic characteristics and to identify relevant inter-group differences in sexual attraction, identity, awareness among contacts of attraction to men, number of sex partners, history of anal intercourse, recruitment of partners online, history of HIV testing and drug use. Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess potential associations between these variables and risk contacts, defined as having reported unprotected anal intercourse with male partners of unknown or discordant serostatus in the previous year. Bisexually active groups reported relatively few risk contacts, strengthening the argument that there is little support for the existence of a substantial ‘bisexual bridge’ in Germany.