DUDLEY ET AL. HIGH-RISK SEX AMONG YOUNG GAY MEN CORRELATES OF HIGH-RISK SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AMONG YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN Michael G. Dudley, Sharon Scales Rostosky, Bethe A. Korfhage, and Rick S. Zimmerman Data from a sample (n = 154) of young men who have sex with men (YMSM), aged 13-21, residing in five mid-sized cities in the midwestern United States were used to test the hypothesis that personality variables (impulsive decision making, sensation seeking, anxiety/depression, internalized homophobia) contribute uniquely to the prediction of unprotected anal sex beyond what is accounted for by other high-risk behaviors (i.e., substance use and number of sex partners) and partner status (having a dating partner). Results of hierarchical regression analy- ses indicated that number of reported anal sex partners and partner status were positively associated with self-reported frequency of unprotected anal sex. Be- yond these factors, impulsive decision making significantly contributed to the predictive model. These findings indicate that designing effective prevention pro- gramming for YMSM should take into consideration relationship status and the impulsiveness of sexual decision making among members of the target group. Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) face an increased risk of contracting HIV relative to their exclusively heterosexual peers (Blake et al., 2001; Bok & Mo- rales, 1998; Faulkner & Cranston, 1998). No sexual behavior is more risky than un- protected anal sex, and evidence indicates that the percentages of YMSM who engage in this specific sex behavior remain high. In one study, 37% of the young men sampled reported engaging in unprotected anal sex in the last year (Hays et al., 1997). Because of the high-risk for contracting HIV, documenting factors associated with unpro- tected anal intercourse among YMSM is important to efficacious education and prevention programming. Problem behavior theory (R. Jessor, 1992; R. Jessor, Graves, Hanson, & R. Jessor, 1968; R. Jessor, Van-Den-Bos, Vanderryn, & Costa, 1995) hypothesizes that risk behavior results from the interaction of three systems composed of the aspects of the personality, aspects of the environment or situation, and behaviors aligned with 328 AIDS Education and Prevention, 16(4), 328–340, 2004 © 2004 The Guilford Press Michael G. Dudley, Sharon Scales Rostosky, Bethe A. Korfhage, and Rick S. Zimmerman are with the Uni- versity of Kentucky, Lexington. This research was supported by the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) Grant AA10747 to Rick S. Zimmerman, Ph.D., Principal Investigator. Sharon Scales Rostosky’s work on the manuscript was also partially supported by a University of Kentucky 2002 Summer Faculty Fellowship. Preliminary results of these data were presented at the August 2002 meeting of the American Psychological Association in Chicago. Address correspondence to Sharon Scales Rostosky, Ph.D., 245 Dickey Hall, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506; e-mail: rostosk@uky.edu