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Self-interest is not the only motivator to sexual safety among sexually active gay men. Indeed, limits to a self-interest prevention paradigm are significant, and growing. Semi-structured qualitative interviews in two cities with an ethnically diverse cohort of mixed-status, sexually active gay men reveal a wide range of other-sensitive motivators beyond self-interest whose roles in men's HIV safety decisions have not been recognized. Other-sensitive motivations fall into several categories: altruistic concern for sex partners, personal ethical/moral values, expressed desire for communal/collective survival, concerns about self-definition, and elaborate concerns over the effects of potential HIV infection on family and friends. Other-focused concerns seem to operate as key motivators among these men, lowering risk. Implications of other-sensitive concerns for a new generation of prevention strategies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]