Michael Reece's research while affiliated with The Ohio State University and other places

Facilitators and barriers of PrEP uptake have been established in prior studies; however, most of these studies comprise samples of MSM from metropolitan cities and hypothetical PrEP use. There is a dearth of literature on the uptake factors among rural MSM who are prescribed PrEP. Thirty-four rural Midwestern MSM who currently take PrEP participat...

Most pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) research samples men who have sex with men (MSM) who live in metropolitan cities. There is a limited understanding of the PrEP experiences among rural MSM. Thirty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the PrEP healthcare experiences among 34 rural Midwestern MSM. Of the 34 participants, 23 ob...

Objectives: To explore perceptions of condoms associated with complete use and evaluate relationships between condom perceptions, condom use, and sexual quality. Methods: Using data from a U. S. nationally representative probability sample, we assessed individuals’ condom use perceptions and related characteristics of their most recent sexual event...

Using data from 78 sexting-experienced adolescents from the 2015 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, we describe sexting frequency, sexting partners, sexual relationships with such partners, and characteristics associated with sexting. Most (59.2%) respondents sexted at most monthly, usually with romantic partners (62.0%). About 41% of s...

Sexual orientation is a multi-dimensional concept, at a minimum comprised of sexual identity, sexual attraction, and sexual behavior. Our study aimed to assess relationships among self-identified sexual identity, sexual attraction, and sexual behaviors in a probability sample of adults in the U.S. and to identify associated factors with diverse pat...

Using data from the 2014 National Survey of Sexual Health & Behavior, a probability survey of Americans aged 14+, we assessed the prevalence and correlates of kissing, cuddling, and massage during 1493 individuals’ most recent sexual event from the past year. Most respondents reported kissing (87%) and cuddling (70%); fewer (23%) reported massage....

Objective To examine knowledge of Zika transmission and risk perception and to assess variability by condom use in a probability sample of sexually-active adults in the United States. Methods Data for this study came from the 2016 wave of the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, a nationally representative probability sample of adults in...

Partnerships between academic and clinical-based health organizations are becoming increasingly important in improving health outcomes. Mutuality is recognized as a vital component of these partnerships. If partnerships are to achieve mutuality, there is a need to define what it means to partnering organizations. Few studies have described the elem...

As bisexual individuals in the United States (U.S.) face significant health disparities, researchers have posited that these differences may be fueled, at least in part, by negative attitudes, prejudice, stigma, and discrimination toward bisexual individuals from heterosexual and gay/lesbian individuals. Previous studies of individual and social at...

African-born immigrants and refugees have HIV infection rates six times higher than any other minority groups in the United States. Despite the increase in the population size and diversity of Somali immigrants and refugees in the United States, Somalis are one of the medically underserved population subgroups in this region. The lack of aggregate...

This study assessed the prevalence of sexual behaviors among a nationally representative sample of Latino men and women in the United States (US) (N = 432) including Spanish language data collection. Prior studies of sexual health among US Latinos have consisted of convenience samples, and focused mainly on assessing risk behaviors. We consider a b...

The purpose of this study was to understand how bear identity influenced condom use during the last anal sex event. Participants were recruited to complete an online, anonymous, self-report survey through bear-related sexual and social networking websites. A total of 1,080 men who identified as gay or bisexual, as a member of the bear community and...

We have almost no data on how and when couples stop using condoms. This qualitative study investigated the process of condom discontinuation. From November 2013 to April 2014, a total of 25 women living in a college town in the Midwest, ages 18 to 25, participated in semistructured interviews centered around three domains: partner interactions, con...

There is a critical need to understand the interplay between relationship trust and public health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of emerging adult women's processes of establishing trust in sexual relationships. Twenty-five women aged 18-24 years participated in semi-structured interviews. Throughout the intervi...

Although a large body of previous research has examined sexual behavior and its relation to risk in men of diverse sexual identities, most studies have relied on convenience sampling. As such, the vast majority of research on the sexual behaviors of gay and bisexual men, in particular, might not be generalizable to the general population of these m...

Little is known about current attitudes toward having sex during pregnancy in the United States. It is possible that pregnant women and their sexual partners hold beliefs and have feelings during this time that might lead to sexual and relational distress. Two new scales, Maternal Sex during Pregnancy and Partner Sex during Pregnancy were developed...

A sizable minority of women report lifetime sexual behavior with both men and women. In the present study, a multinational sample of women who reported genital contact with at least one man and one woman in their lifetime (N = 2,751) were asked to provide their behavioral definitions of "having sex with a woman" and "having sex with a man." Replica...

Objectives: This study explored predictors of STI screening among a heterogeneous group of women who have sex with women and men. Methods: Following bivariate analyses, a multivariate logistic regression model was conducted to assess the relationship between testing and sociodemographic, relationship characteristics. Results: The majority of p...

Purpose: While previous research suggests that lubricant use may be common among lesbian- and bisexually-identified women, it remains unclear from this research whether lubricant was being used with a male or female partner. The present study explores the behavioral, emotional, situational, and relational aspects of lesbian- and bisexually-identif...

Unlabelled: Background There is a lack of research that examines event-level lubricant use and outcomes among gay and bisexual men, with the majority of current research addressing lubricant use within the context of sexual risk. Most studies examining sexual health among gay and bisexual men have relied on convenience sampling strategies for part...

Research increasingly shows that genital attitudes have an impact on sexual well-being and health-seeking behaviours. This study explored what women and men like and dislike about women's genitals. Data are from open-ended items, part of a cross-sectional internet-based survey anonymously completed by 496 women and 198 men. Overall, both women and...

IntroductionThe diversity in self-identified lesbian and bisexual women's sexual interactions necessitates better understanding of how and when they integrate personal lubricant into different experiences. However, little is known about lesbian and bisexual women's lifetime lubricant use, particularly at the population level. AimsThe aim of this st...

Introduction: Recent U.S. nationally representative data indicate that about 30% of women and 5% of men reported pain occurring during their most recent sexual event; however, little is known about the severity, duration, or context of such pain, or its prevalence during vaginal vs. anal intercourse. Aims: To document the prevalence and characte...

Most previous studies of the sexual behaviors of men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV are based on samples recruited within relative-ly urban and suburban areas of the United States. Using an internet-based questionnaire, we assessed HIV-related stigma, loneliness, and event-level sexual behaviors in a sample of HIV positive MSM (n = 100...

Most previous studies of the sexual behaviour of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men living with HIV are based on samples of men recruited within relatively urban and suburban areas of the USA. The aim of the present study was to explore the potential challenges associated with HIV-related stigma and residing in a relatively rural are...

Epidemiologic data demonstrate that women involved with the criminal justice system in the United States are at high risk for sexually transmitted infections, including herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Female defendants were recruited from a misdemeanor court to assess whether brief framed messages utilizing prospect theory could encourage test...

A newly emergent literature suggest that bisexual men and women face profound health disparities in comparison to both heterosexual and homosexual individuals. Additionally, bisexual individuals often experience prejudice, stigma, and discrimination from both gay/lesbian and straight communities, termed "biphobia." However, only limited research ex...

Background: Research on sexual risk, sexually transmitted infections (STI), and related health care delivery among women who have sex with women (WSW) is limited. The purpose of this study is to better understand sexual health maintenance practices among WSW relative to women who also have male partners. The specific focus of this study was on rece...

Background: Previous literature has documented sexual practices of pregnant women, yet the majority of work has focused on penile-vaginal intercourse in women whose sexual partners are male. The purpose of this study was to examine sexual behaviors among two samples of pregnant women, those who are currently partnered with women (WSW) and those who...

Background. HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) remain a priority population for the prevention of HIV transmission in the United States with current evidenced-based interventions focused on curtailing unprotected anal intercourse. Given advances in HIV managed care, there remains a gap in the literature on the sexual lives and experiences...

Previous social and behavioral research on identity among bisexual men, when not subsumed within the category of men who have sex with men (MSM), has primarily focused on samples of self-identified bisexual men. Little is known about sexual self-identification among men who are behaviorally bisexual, regardless of sexual identity. Using qualitative...

Men who have sex with men (MSM) who reside in predominantly mixed rural and rural areas remain at risk for HIV and STI acquisition; however, few studies have researched the sexual behavior of this population. Sexual health interventions geared toward MSM are often developed with urban and suburban populations, with a focus on community development...

Objectives Male condom use in conjunction with other contraceptives increases protection against pregnancy and STIs. However, few analyses contextualize dual method use within the sexual episode, include reports from men, or explore gendered patterns in reporting. Study Design We analyzed dual method use patterns using a nationally representative d...

Over the past two decades, sexual desire and desire discrepancy have become more frequently studied as have potential pharmaceutical interventions to treat low sexual desire. However, the complexities of sexual desire—including what exactly is desired—remain poorly understood. To understand the object of men's and women's sexual desire, evaluate ge...

Few previous studies have examined lubricant use among gay and bisexual men outside the context of human immunodeficiency virus risk reduction associated with condom use during penile–anal intercourse and the potential use of lubricants to deliver rectal microbicides. The vast majority of studies examining lubricant use among gay and bisexual men h...

Objective: The purpose of this article was to identify the information parents and their adolescent sons deem important when making the decision to get vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV). Method: Twenty-one adolescent males (ages 13 to 17), with no previous HPV vaccination, and their parents were recruited from adolescent primary care...

Introduction: Most research on men's use of commercial lubricants during sexual activities is in the context of condom use and often specifically among men who have sex with men. Less is known about men's use of lubricants associated with a broader range of sexual experiences. Aims: The aims of this study are to document the prevalence of commer...

/st>We describe perceived physician communication behaviors and its association with adherence to care, among HIV patients in Kenya. /st>This cross-sectional study was conducted between July and August 2011. /st>The study was conducted in three adult HIV clinics within the Academic Model Providing Healthcare program in western Kenya. /st>HIV adult...

Sexual assault prevention efforts have focused on educating students to obtain consent as a mechanism to reduce sexual assault, yet little is known about how college students consent to sex. Additionally, there are currently no measures available to assess students' consent to sex. The current study aimed to better understand college students conse...

Abstract Limited research has focused on the sexual behaviors of MSM from rural communities. We examined the sexual and health-related behaviors of MSM living in rural areas of the US in order to understand the sexual health repertoire of this population. A total of 5,357 participants living in rural settings were recruited online and completed an...

Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be disproportionately impacted by STIs and HIV. In addition to traditional risk factors, increasing attention has been given to the potential role of affective components of a sexual encounter, including mood state. To date, no study has described sexual behaviors engaged in by those who report being in l...

Background. Loneliness is a subjective experience that is influenced by such variables as community connection, experiences, and situation. There has been little research examining the influence of negative psychological states as an antecedent for HIV risk behavior among rural men who have sex with men (MSM). As a stigmatized population, there is...

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health concern. While testing has been proven important in addressing STIs, there is little systematic information on how macro-level messages about testing are processed on the interpersonal level. This research fills this gap by examining interpersonal communication about STIs and testing,...

Context & Background: Using condoms in conjunction with other contraceptives can increase protection against pregnancy and STIs. However, few analyses have 1) examined dual method use at the level of the sexual episode or 2) included men or explored gendered patterns in reporting. Methods: We analyzed dual use patterns using a nationally representa...

INTRODUCTION: Scientific research on sexual self-identity, and its implications for HIV/STI risk, among behaviorally bisexual men is scarce. METHODS: We conducted in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of 77 behaviorally bisexual men in order to obtain data related to sexual identity. RESULTS: Findings indicated that sexual self-identificati...

INTRODUCTION: Findings from previous sociological studies suggest that bisexual men and women face prejudice, stigma, and discrimination from both heterosexual and homosexual individuals. While established relationships between minority stress and HIV/STI risk behavior, particularly among individuals who face multiple layers of stigma, there is a l...

Background: Research into the provision of sexual health information for youth has demonstrated inadequate school support and little to no information exchange between parents and their children. Community leaders have suggested and research has demonstrated that youth-serving community-based organizations (CBOs) and the youth development professio...

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health concern. While testing has been proven as an important individual behavior, overall research fails to thoroughly investigate how testing practices affect safe sex behavior. This research serves to bridge these gaps by investigating how STI conversations impact subsequent s...

Introduction: The majority of previous HIV/STI research and prevention efforts have collapsed men who have sex exclusively with men (MSM) together with men who have sex with both men and women (MSMW) without focusing on the unique issues of these men, most notably their sexual behaviors with female partners. Previous studies have noted relatively h...

Background: Hook up culture has become widely discussed within the public health community. To adequately address public health needs related to hook up behaviors, research should focus on understanding hook ups on the intrapersonal level. This research uses a bargaining theory approach to investigate what attitudes inform college age students' dec...

This study was designed to systematically compare and contrast the psychometric properties of three scales developed to measure sexual satisfaction and a single-item measure of sexual satisfaction. The Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS), Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (GMSEX), and the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale-Short (NSSS-S) were compare...

Because sexual assault is often defined in terms of nonconsent, many prevention efforts focus on promoting the clear communication of consent as a mechanism to reduce assault. Yet little research has specifically examined how sexual consent is being conceptualized by heterosexual college students. In this study, 185 Midwestern U.S. college students...

Although frequently cited as being at high risk for HIV/STI transmission, little is known about behaviorally bisexual men's patterns and experiences of condom use and nonuse with male and female sexual partners. Using a variety of recruitment techniques informed by a Community Advisory Committee, a total of 77 behaviorally bisexual men were recruit...

Abstract Psychometric properties of an 18-item HIV felt stigma questionnaire were evaluated utilizing data collected from a diverse ethnic and socioeconomic group of 370 people living with HIV/AIDS and receiving HIV/AIDS-related health services at an HIV clinic in Kenya. Factor analyses revealed a four factor solution (public attitudes, ostracize,...

Introduction: Penile size continues to receive popular and empirical attention. Little is known about the process of self-measurement and whether the behaviors a man engages in to become erect for self-measurement are associated with his erect penile dimensions. Aims: The article aims to assess men's erect penile dimensions in a study in which t...

Introduction: Much scientific research focuses on assessing and understanding individuals' perceptions of sexual pleasure, enjoyment and satisfaction. Many existing measures of pleasure and satisfaction provide valuable information but are limited in their ability to assess event-level quality. Aims: To develop a scale for measuring the event-le...

Women of size who inhabit non-normative bodies may have different experiences with body image and sexual health than women of average body size. In this exploratory study, we interviewed four women of size recruited from a larger mixed-methodological study of body image and sexuality. Each woman was interviewed twice on topics of body image, sexual...

Routine screening is a key component of sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention and control; however, traditional programmes often fail to effectively reach men and women in hidden communities. To reduce prevalence, we must understand the programmatic features that would encourage utilization of services among asymptomatic individuals. Usin...

Numerous factors may affect men's sexual experiences, including their health status, past trauma or abuse, medication use, relationships, mood, anxiety, and body image. Little research has assessed the influence of men's genital self-image on their sexual function or behaviors and none has done so in a nationally representative sample. The purpose...

Despite the high prevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), testing for asymptomatic infections is uncommon. One population for whom targeted interventions may be prioritized include individuals involved with the correctional system. Here we describe the acceptability of a novel HSV-2 screening program, implemented in a court setting, as a...

Sexuality education efforts tend to focus on adolescents and risk-reduction strategies. Outside of clinical settings, there are few sexuality education opportunities focusing on enhancing the sexual lives (e.g., desire, arousal, orgasm) of adult women in long-term monogamous relationships. In-home sex toy parties may enrich women's sexual experienc...

. There have been no scales specifically developed to assess physician-patient communication behaviors (PPCB) in the sub-Saharan population. . We revised an existing PPCB scale and tested its psychometric properties for HIV patients in Kenya. . 17 items (five-point scale) measuring PPCB were initially adopted from the Matched Pair Instrument (MPI)....

Abstract Black men who have sex with men (MSM) living in the U.S. are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. An online survey of sexual behavior was completed by Black, White, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and other-race MSM (n=11,766) ages 18-87 years. Complete condom use, semen exposure, pre-coital rectal douching (enema use), and lu...

Introduction: Although most Americans have used condoms and/or lubricant during sex, little is known about the context of sexual events that involve the use of such products outside of experimentally manipulated studies. Aims: To assess, in a nationally representative study of men and women in the United States ages 18-59, the characteristics of...

Background Licensed for use in males in 2009, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates in adolescent males are extremely low. Literature on HPV vaccination focuses on females, adult males, or parents of adolescent males, without including adolescent males or the dynamics of the parent-son interaction that may influence vaccine decision-making....

Introduction. Pubic hair removal is prevalent among women in the United States. However, most studies related to pubic hair removal are based on cross-sectional surveys and retrospective recall. Aim. The purpose of this research was to, in a prospective event-level daily diary study, assess demographic, affective, relational, situational, and behav...

Introduction. Exogenous lubricant use in the United States is common among women; however, there is little empirical research describing women's perceptions of lubricants, lubricant use, and vaginal wetness or dryness during penile-vaginal intercourse or other sexual behaviors. Aims. To assess women's perceptions about lubricant use, women's percep...

Abstract In general, an initial diagnosis of HIV is likely to be correlated with the onset of HIV stigma. HIV-positive individuals are likely to internalize stigma, may suffer from psychosocial issues, or engage in maladaptive behaviors to cope with the diagnosis. Internalized stigma stems from fear of stigmatization also known as felt stigma. The...

Purpose: Our understanding of early sexual experiences among men who have sex with men (MSM) is limited. Existing data among MSM focuses primarily on sexual risk behaviors, but often fails to examine contextual factors associated with the initiation of same sex sexual behavior. Methods: Data were collected via an internet-based survey from 9,776...

Background: Sexual compulsivity (SC) is typically associated with increased sexual risk behaviors; however, a dearth of research exists on how higher levels of SC may differentially influence the frequency of risk. Methods: Data were drawn from an Internet-based daily study of men's (N=1810; 88.1% heterosexual) sexual behaviors. Participants comple...

Background: Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continues to be a major public health concern, with an emphasis on addressing the needs of men who have sex with men (MSM). Little is known about what sexual partners communicate about sexual histories, nor how partners weigh the pros and cons...

Background: Our community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership, comprised of community members, organizational representatives, business leaders, and academic researchers, has >10 years of successful, extramurally funded research. Members of our CBPR partnership sought to identify predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors influenci...

Background: Initial diagnosis of HIV is reportedly correlated with stigma which is associated with shame, rejection or blame, towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Limited studies have examined HIV related felt stigma in a Kenyan context. To necessitate valid and reliable measurement of HIV felt stigma in Kenya, it is critical to cross-cultu...

Introduction: Research concerning behaviorally bisexual men continues to focus on understanding sexual risk in a narrow range of sexual behaviors. Few studies have attempted to understand not only the objective risk behaviors in which these men engage in but also the patterns and meanings of these behaviors, particularly in relation to gender of th...

Background: Current practices regarding HIV prevention often group together non-heterosexual men into a single category of MSM. Grouping men this way limits our ability to explore sexual behaviors between groups of men within this categorization in a nuanced and thoughtful manner. Methods: A cross-sectional survey utilizing community-based method...

Purpose: MSM continue to be disproportionately impacted by STI and HIV. In addition to traditional risk factors, increasing attention has been given to the potential role of affective components of a sexual encounter including mood state. To date, no study has described sexual behaviors engaged in by those who report being in love (or not) during a...

Background: Although jail screening programs have an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmissible infections (STI) and HIV among incarcerated individuals, many arrestees are not screened before release. Justice-involved women are at particularly high risk for these conditions because of individual risk behaviour as well...

Limited research exists regarding community involvement and social support among behaviourally bisexual men. Previous studies suggest that bisexual men experience high levels of social stigma in both heterosexual and homosexual community settings. Research focusing on social support has demonstrated that individuals with limited access to similar i...

Condom use remains central to sexually transmitted infections/HIV prevention among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). To support the development of accurate and appropriate interventions, a better understanding is needed as to how the characteristics of a given sexual event differentially influence condom use during anal intercourse...

The development of safer sex recommendations for women who have sex with women (WSW) remains challenging given a limited understanding of sexual behaviour between women. The present study was conducted in order to investigate the sexual repertoires of WSW and the safer sex methods they use to reduce the likelihood of sexually transmitted infection...

Rectal sexually transmissible infections are a common health concern for men who have sex with men but little is known about these infections among men who have sex with both men and women. Self-obtained rectal specimens were collected from a diverse sample of behaviourally bisexual men. From a total sample of 75 bisexual men, 58 collected specimen...

Public health condom promotion efforts increasingly focus on the importance of sexual pleasure; however, little is known about sexual event-specific factors that may increase or decrease perceptions of sexual pleasure when condoms are used. To examine event-level factors associated with ratings of sexual pleasure during condom-protected vaginal int...

Studies concerning behaviorally bisexual men continue to focus on understanding sexual risk according to a narrow range of sexual behaviors. Few studies have explored the subjective meanings and experiences related to bisexual men's sexual behaviors with male and female partners. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 75 men who en...

The Midwestern United States (U.S.) has a high number of recent Latino migrants, but little information is available regarding their sexual behaviors. A total of 75 behaviorally bisexual men (25 Latino, 25 Black, and 25 White) participated in an exploratory study on sexual health. The data presented in this paper are restricted to the 25 self-ident...