The Sexual Partnerships of People with Serious Mental Illness‪.‬

The transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) among people with serious mental illness has garnered attention in the public health community over the past 20 years (National Institute of Mental Health, 2002). Seroprevalence rates among people with serious mental illness are typically higher than in the general population and have most recently been estimated at between 1.0% and 5.4% (Essock et al., 2003; Rosenberg et al., 2001). Because of this elevated risk, clinicians and public health officials recognize an eminent need for research on patterns of sexual behavior in this population (Buckley, Robben, Friedman, & Hyde, 1999; Lukoff, Sullivan, & Goisman, 1992). Existing studies are beset by sampling and methodological constraints and are informed by an individual-focused approach that limits our understanding of the sexuality of people with serious mental illness (Buckley et al., 1999). Our analysis employed a systematic, venue-based, random sample of mental health clients drawn from various treatment settings. Placing emphasis on the role of social context in shaping individuals' sexual behavior within relationships (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, & Michaels, 1994), we compared the primary partnerships of people with serious mental illness and the general population.