| Summary: | <p> Two studies tested whether reminders of safe sex and risky sex would lead to higher mortality salience, and if that higher mortality salience would lead men who have sex with men to be more sexually risky than men who have sex with women. In Study 1, both partner gender groups reported higher mortality salience after the risky sex and death primes, but not after the safe sex or the control primes. In Study 2, the men in both groups only reported higher mortality salience after the death primes. Partner gender moderated the effect of mortality salience primes on men’s willingness to engage in risky sexual behavior. Men who have sex with women reported greater willingness to engage in risky sexual behaviors than men who have sex with men after the death prime, and less willingness after the safe sex prime, compared to both the risky sex and control prime. Men who have sex with men did not report any differences in their willingness to engage in risky sexual behavior after any of the priming conditions. Estimates of peer engagement in risky sexual behavior correlated with both groups willingness to engage in risky sexual behavior, whereas self-esteem did not significantly correlate, moderate or mediate willingness to engage in risky sexual behavior in either group. Combining data from Study 1 and Study 2 found both groups reported higher mortality salience after the risky sex and death primes, but not after the safe sex or control primes. Implications for partner gender differences in responses to mortality salience as well as how to design safe-sex interventions are discussed.</p><p>
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