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Gay men’s stories of monogamy and non-monogamy: change, flexibility and tensions
Roger Pebody, 2017-11-17 07:20:00

Although some gay men idealise monogamy, particularly in the early stages of a relationship, couples often become non-monogamous over time, Australian researchers report in an article published online ahead of print in Culture, Health and Sexuality.

Men often saw non-monogamy as realistic in gay relationships, due to social and cultural norms in gay communities. But shifting the ground rules of relationships could be challenging for some couples, especially when the partners had different values about monogamy and non-monogamy.

For this qualitative study, Steven Philpot and colleagues conducted in-depth interviews with 61 Australian gay men. The interviews explored issues of intimacy, relationships and monogamy with men who were either single or in a couple at the time of the interview.

HIV is frequently transmitted within committed relationships, so a better understanding of relationship dynamics is important for HIV prevention.

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