Abstract

Based on the practice of number of French homosexual " volunteers" interviewed in a series on surveys on gay lifestyles, at first we propose an assessment of the place and the nature of homosexual unions' individual biographies. A man's affective commitment to another man takes different forms - with or without co-habitation, with or without sexual exclusivity - but none of these has established itself as a pre-eminent model. This article also analyses how French homosexuals have adjusted to Hiv risk in steady relationships in relation to the possibility of partners' knowledge of each other's Hiv status. Following a temporary retreat into the couple, which was linked to the awareness of the magnitude of the Aids epidemic in their group, homosexuals are increasingly drawn to the idea of living together without ruling out the possibility of other sexual partners. Condom use varies widely depending on sexual practice and kind of partner involved. The standard of systematic protection is higher in the case of casual partners than in steady relationships. Our observations suggest that gays who live as a couple are more motivated to test for Hiv. The use of safer sex methods varies strongly depending on whether this status is the same or not.