Young Dutch men who have just come out as homosexuals frequently have unsafe sex. They have multiple partners and don’t use condoms.

These are the findings of research by psychologist Dirk Franssens of Maastricht University in conjunction with the Dutch HIV/AIDS charity Aids Fonds. The study followed young people in the first period after they had come out as homosexuals. Mr Franssens approached the group via gay websites, where many young gay men find their first sexual partners.

The young people who took part in the study filled in a questionnaire every six months for three years. The survey revealed that 40 percent of gay men aged between 16 and 25 had sex without using a condom, thus putting themselves at risk of contracting the HIV virus. Mr Franssens concludes that this group should be the target of information campaigns.