Letters to the editor

Relatively little attention has been paid to the use and importance of labels used by men who have sex with men to describe insertive or receptive sexual behavior during intercourse. This study examines sexual self‐labels, sexual behavior, HIV transmission risk, and psychological functioning among 205 HIV‐seropositive men who have sex with men. The majority of participants (88%) identified as a “top, “ a “bottom, “ or “versatile. “ Tops were more likely to engage in insertive anal intercourse than bottoms, and bottoms were more likely to engage in receptive anal intercourse than tops, with versatiles reporting intermediate rates of both behaviors. Although the results suggest preliminary evidence regarding the predictive utility of self‐labels, sexual behaviors of self‐label groups were greatly overlapping. Differences were found among self‐label groups in gay self‐identification, internalized homophobia, sexual sensation seeking, and anxiety. Results suggest an added value in assessing self‐labels in addition to asking about sexual behavior.     

Letters to the editor

The western roots of modern same‐sex relationships

Same‐Sex Desire and Love in GrecoRoman Antiquity and in the Classical Tradition of the West, Edited by Beert C. Verstraete &; Vernon Provencal. New York: Huntington Park Press, 2006, 491 pages. Cloth, $69.95; Paper, $49.95.

Students go to “sex camp” and write back love letters

Sex Camp, By Brian McNaught. Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2005, 446 Pages. Cloth, $31.50; Paper, $21.75; Electronic, $5.95.

Complexity of sexuality: shifting to a focus on sexuality in close relationships

The Handbook of Sexuality in Close Relationships, Edited by John H. Harvey, Amy Wenzel, &; Susan Sprecher. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004, 668 pages. Cloth, $125.00; Paper $65.00.     

Letter to the editor

Inside by Jeremy Cronin. Johannesburg: Ravan Press. 103 pp. R6,50.