Sex, HIV, and the Internet

• Main Authors: Darcy White MPH, Catherine Finneran MPH, Kimi N. Sato MPH, Rob Stephenson PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2014-07-01
• Series: American Journal of Men's Health
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988313509834

With the increasing pervasiveness of social media, the Internet has become an important venue for dating and sex. Not only does the Internet introduce a unique array of opportunities and risks for men who have sex with men (MSM), it also presents a valuable means through which to study sexual behavior. In this study, data on what men report in their online profiles were collected from two dating/hookup websites to explore possible geographical differences in men’s sexual preferences and expectations ( N = 5,588). Across the 15 selected cities, significant differences emerged in reported HIV status and stated preference for safer sex (condom use). These patterns suggest important contextual and demographic variations and point to a need for targeted, population-specific interventions and further research to identify the underlying social and psychological constructs. With a better understanding of the local factors driving risky sexual behavior, health communication messages and tailored online interventions could be developed to address the needs and concerns of specific groups.