1: Online and at-risk

PurposeToday’s youth use the Internet for everything from online shopping to accessing health-related information. Some lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth perceive the Internet as a “lifeline” allowing access to individuals of similar experiences often unavailable in their day-to-day lives and communities. Among adult men who have sex with other men (MSM), the Internet has emerged as a popular venue for meeting sexual partners and has been linked to high risk behaviors and increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In contrast, little is known about the Internet and sexual risk behaviors of adolescent and young adult MSM. We examined the prevalence of Internet use for meeting sexual partners and high risk sexual and substance use behaviors in young MSM (YMSM) age 16-24.MethodsA convenience sample of 224 ethnically-diverse YMSM was recruited from an urban community-based health center serving the LGBT community. Participants completed a confidential, computer-assisted survey assessing a variety of sexual and substance use behaviors and use of the Internet for the purpose of meeting a romantic or sexual partner. Factors associated with: (1) having sex with an Internet partner and (2) engaging in high-risk sex with Internet partners were assessed with χ2 and hierarchical logistic regression. A Bonferroni correction was used to control for the high number of tests; effects were considered significant if p<0.025.ResultsOur sample’s YMSM ranged in age from 16-24 (M=20.3, SD=2.4); 70% were from communities of color, 67% middle class and 61% reported using the Internet to try to find a romantic or sexual partner in their lifetime. Forty two percent (42%) had had sex with a partner met online. Of YMSM having had sex with an Internet partner, only 52% used condoms consistently during those encounters and 51% reported that their online partners were “much older” than themselves. Multiple demographic characteristics, sexual and substance use behaviors were associated with sex with Internet partners including: age >21 years, non-Black race/ethnicity, methamphetamine use, history of commercial sex, risky anal sex, having sex in a bathhouse/sex club, having had a prior STI, and being HIV+ (p<0.05). Regression analyses revealed increasing age (OR=1.2; 95%CI=1.02-1.41), history of multiple sexual partners in the past 3 months (OR=2.93, 95%CI=1.36-6.33) and history of any unprotected anal intercourse in the past year (OR=2.72; 95%CI=1.28-5.76) predicted meeting sexual partners through the Internet; only methamphetamine use (OR=4.45; 95%CI=1.25-15.86) predicted unprotected sex with Internet sex partners.ConclusionThe Internet is a popular venue for YMSM to meet sexual partners. YMSM seeking sexual partners online also engage in other risk behaviors placing them at risk of HIV and other STIs. Additional research regarding the process of meeting sex partners online and the context in which other high-risk behaviors occur with Internet partners is needed for prevention interventions to be successfully developed for YMSM.MH PurposeToday’s youth use the Internet for everything from online shopping to accessing health-related information. Some lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth perceive the Internet as a “lifeline” allowing access to individuals of similar experiences often unavailable in their day-to-day lives and communities. Among adult men who have sex with other men (MSM), the Internet has emerged as a popular venue for meeting sexual partners and has been linked to high risk behaviors and increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In contrast, little is known about the Internet and sexual risk behaviors of adolescent and young adult MSM. We examined the prevalence of Internet use for meeting sexual partners and high risk sexual and substance use behaviors in young MSM (YMSM) age 16-24. Today’s youth use the Internet for everything from online shopping to accessing health-related information. Some lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth perceive the Internet as a “lifeline” allowing access to individuals of similar experiences often unavailable in their day-to-day lives and communities. Among adult men who have sex with other men (MSM), the Internet has emerged as a popular venue for meeting sexual partners and has been linked to high risk behaviors and increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In contrast, little is known about the Internet and sexual risk behaviors of adolescent and young adult MSM. We examined the prevalence of Internet use for meeting sexual partners and high risk sexual and substance use behaviors in young MSM (YMSM) age 16-24. MethodsA convenience sample of 224 ethnically-diverse YMSM was recruited from an urban community-based health center serving the LGBT community. Participants completed a confidential, computer-assisted survey assessing a variety of sexual and substance use behaviors and use of the Internet for the purpose of meeting a romantic or sexual partner. Factors associated with: (1) having sex with an Internet partner and (2) engaging in high-risk sex with Internet partners were assessed with χ2 and hierarchical logistic regression. A Bonferroni correction was used to control for the high number of tests; effects were considered significant if p<0.025. A convenience sample of 224 ethnically-diverse YMSM was recruited from an urban community-based health center serving the LGBT community. Participants completed a confidential, computer-assisted survey assessing a variety of sexual and substance use behaviors and use of the Internet for the purpose of meeting a romantic or sexual partner. Factors associated with: (1) having sex with an Internet partner and (2) engaging in high-risk sex with Internet partners were assessed with χ2 and hierarchical logistic regression. A Bonferroni correction was used to control for the high number of tests; effects were considered significant if p<0.025. ResultsOur sample’s YMSM ranged in age from 16-24 (M=20.3, SD=2.4); 70% were from communities of color, 67% middle class and 61% reported using the Internet to try to find a romantic or sexual partner in their lifetime. Forty two percent (42%) had had sex with a partner met online. Of YMSM having had sex with an Internet partner, only 52% used condoms consistently during those encounters and 51% reported that their online partners were “much older” than themselves. Multiple demographic characteristics, sexual and substance use behaviors were associated with sex with Internet partners including: age >21 years, non-Black race/ethnicity, methamphetamine use, history of commercial sex, risky anal sex, having sex in a bathhouse/sex club, having had a prior STI, and being HIV+ (p<0.05). Regression analyses revealed increasing age (OR=1.2; 95%CI=1.02-1.41), history of multiple sexual partners in the past 3 months (OR=2.93, 95%CI=1.36-6.33) and history of any unprotected anal intercourse in the past year (OR=2.72; 95%CI=1.28-5.76) predicted meeting sexual partners through the Internet; only methamphetamine use (OR=4.45; 95%CI=1.25-15.86) predicted unprotected sex with Internet sex partners. Our sample’s YMSM ranged in age from 16-24 (M=20.3, SD=2.4); 70% were from communities of color, 67% middle class and 61% reported using the Internet to try to find a romantic or sexual partner in their lifetime. Forty two percent (42%) had had sex with a partner met online. Of YMSM having had sex with an Internet partner, only 52% used condoms consistently during those encounters and 51% reported that their online partners were “much older” than themselves. Multiple demographic characteristics, sexual and substance use behaviors were associated with sex with Internet partners including: age >21 years, non-Black race/ethnicity, methamphetamine use, history of commercial sex, risky anal sex, having sex in a bathhouse/sex club, having had a prior STI, and being HIV+ (p<0.05). Regression analyses revealed increasing age (OR=1.2; 95%CI=1.02-1.41), history of multiple sexual partners in the past 3 months (OR=2.93, 95%CI=1.36-6.33) and history of any unprotected anal intercourse in the past year (OR=2.72; 95%CI=1.28-5.76) predicted meeting sexual partners through the Internet; only methamphetamine use (OR=4.45; 95%CI=1.25-15.86) predicted unprotected sex with Internet sex partners. ConclusionThe Internet is a popular venue for YMSM to meet sexual partners. YMSM seeking sexual partners online also engage in other risk behaviors placing them at risk of HIV and other STIs. Additional research regarding the process of meeting sex partners online and the context in which other high-risk behaviors occur with Internet partners is needed for prevention interventions to be successfully developed for YMSM.MH The Internet is a popular venue for YMSM to meet sexual partners. YMSM seeking sexual partners online also engage in other risk behaviors placing them at risk of HIV and other STIs. Additional research regarding the process of meeting sex partners online and the context in which other high-risk behaviors occur with Internet partners is needed for prevention interventions to be successfully developed for YMSM.