Are Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills Linked with HIV-Related Sexual Risk among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men?

Young men who have sex with men are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, yet relatively little is known about the most effective theoretical frameworks for preventive interventions with this population. This study investigated the fit of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model for predicting sexual risk among a sample of ethnically diverse young men who have sex with men aged 14 to 21. Path analysis results indicated that the IMB model predicted a moderate amount of variance in primary and secondary sexual risk for young men who have sex with men (r 2 = .26 and .21, respectively). Fit of this model was acceptable on most indicators of model fit for primary and secondary risk.