: Research in the Archives of Sexual Behavior explores the psychological factors behind sexual risk, including mood, sensation seeking, and the inhibition of sexual arousal. Subcultural Perspectives

Subcultures within the gay community often have unique ways of framing sexual roles and identity:

Several academic papers explore the intersections of masculinity and receptive sexual roles (often colloquially referred to as "taking it") among gay men. These studies frequently examine how self-labels like "top" or "bottom" influence social identity and mental health. Academic Research on Receptive Roles and Masculinity

: Research on the language of Black gay men details the rich vocabulary used to describe sexual acts, including terms for versatile partners like "flipflops" or "pancakes". Health and Community Insights

: These groups often embrace physical traits like body hair and muscularity as a way to "re-masculinize" gay identity, sometimes pushing the limits of normative sexual behaviors.

Sexual risk-taking in gay men: the relevance of ... - PubMed

: Published in Sexualities , this paper analyzes how masculinity is performed and negotiated in digital spaces, specifically in the context of high-risk sexual behaviors.

: This qualitative study, published in the Journal of Sex Research , examines gay men's experiences with anal intercourse and masculinity. It finds that perceptions of "tops" and "bottoms" often vary based on how much an individual subscribes to "hegemonic masculinity"—the dominant Western ideal of manhood.