Partners’ Consensus About Joint Effort and COVID-19 Prevention Among Sexual Minority Men

Abstract

The current study examined the relevance of relationship functioning to partners’ agreement or consensus about joint effort surrounding COVID-19 prevention. Interdependence theory has been widely used to understand how relationship partners influence health behavior, including how sexual minority male (SMM) couples regulate HIV risk. Couples with better relationship functioning tend to be more successful at negotiating joint (shared) goals and subsequently accomplishing them. The study recruited 134 cis-male, SARS-CoV-2 negative adults in relationships with cis-male partners from phone-based social networking applications. Participants completed an online survey assessing relationship functioning (Perceived Relationship Components Questionnaire), COVID-19 prevention behaviors, and risk perceptions. Partners’ consensus around joint COVID-19 prevention effort was assessed using an adapted version of the Preferences for Sexual Health Outcomes scale. Path analyses indicated that consensus for joint prevention effort predicted social distancing ( B = 0.23; p = .001) and the number of other COVID-19 prevention behaviors engaged in ( B = 0.17; p = .003) above and beyond perceived risk and relationship functioning. Relationship satisfaction predicted higher levels of consensus for joint COVID-19 prevention effort ( B = 0.40; p = .029). Findings suggest that the theoretical foundations of successful HIV prevention interventions that utilize joint goal formation may generalize to the prediction of COVID-19 prevention behavior and may be leveraged to mitigate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among SMM in relationships. Interventions that overlook the potential for dyadic regulation of health behavior may miss opportunities to capitalize on shared coping resources and fail to address relational barriers to prevention.

Findings on the Monkeypox Exposure Mitigation Strategies Employed by Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in the United States

“…Results of this study can help inform the development and tailoring of monkeypox prevention strategies geared towards these populations. Similar to work conducted during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic (Corneli et al, 2022 ; Griffin et al, 2022 ; McKay et al, 2021 ; Starks et al, 2022 ; Stephenson et al, 2021 ; Walsh et al, 2021 ), our results demonstrate that MSM and transgender women employ a variety of exposure mitigation strategies currently endorsed by the CDC ( 2022e ). This includes limiting their exposure by avoiding crowded social venues where close, personal, skin-to-skin contact is likely to occur—such as a party, dance club, or sex club where minimal clothing may be worn.…”

Relationship and Sexual Quality in the Wake of COVID-19: Effects of Individual Regulatory Focus and Shared Concerns over the Pandemic

“…For example, during the pandemic, frontline healthcare workers with a stronger shared reality felt more supported by their partner and were more satisfied in their relationship later on [44]. Romantic partners who shared concerns over the importance of joint efforts as a protection strategy during the pandemic were also likely to enact more preventive behaviors, including social distancing, wearing face masks, and washing their hands regularly [45]. Similarly, research has shown that shared reality influences relationship functioning as well.…”

Both overwhelmed or in it together? Similarity in COVID‐19‐related stress and romantic relationship quality

“…With COVID‐19‐related stress in particular, dissimilar levels of stress might also indicate ideological differences in how partners view the pandemic. Disagreements about COVID‐19 have been shown to negatively affect couples' ability to cope well with stress together (Lee et al., 2021) and relationship satisfaction (Starks et al., 2021). Therefore, stress similarity might indicate they share a perception of reality and are on the same page, which may buffer the negative effects of stress (Enestrom & Lydon, 2021).…”