Men Who Specifically Seek Unprotected Sex Partners via the Internet: Whose Profiles Are the Most Searched for by Other Site Users?

Abstract

Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for the largest number of persons diagnosed with AIDS in the United States, with higher-than-average rates of drug use and unprotected sex being cited as the principal reasons underlying their high rates of HIV infection. Recent evidence has suggested that the use of Web sites specifically designed to promote unsafe sexual practices may be particularly common among MSM, thereby fostering their risky behaviors.

In light of these findings, the present study, which compares HIV risk behaviors sought by men whose profiles are among the most frequently brought up in searches to those whose profiles are not as popular with other site users, is based on a content analysis of 1,316 ads/profiles posted on one of the most popular MSM Web sites that specifically fosters unprotected sex. Ads/profiles were selected randomly based on the American ZIP code of residence. Data were collected between September 2006 and January 2007.

Rates of advertised-for high-risk sexual behaviors were very high both for men whose profiles were among the most popular and those whose profiles were not, particularly for oral sex involving ejaculation into the mouth, anal sex involving ejaculation into the anus, multiple partner sex, and felching. Analytical comparisons of these groups showed that the most searched for profiles were those promoting the highest levels of risky behaviors and the greatest propensity toward wanting to engage in high-risk activities. The HIV intervention-related implications of these findings are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV risk behaviors
• Internet
• men who have sex with men (MSM)
• content analysis

Notes

*p < .05

**p < .01

***p < .001.

1. For comparison purposes, the next-highest HIV transmission category is injection drug use, which accounts for 34% of all persons with AIDS and 24% of those who are currently HIV positive.

2. In contrast, most other MSM-oriented Web sites impose fairly stringent limitations on the length of members’ postings, thereby precluding people from describing themselves and/or their sexual “want list” as completely as they might wish to do.

3. These terms refer to the sexual acts that the men typically prefer doing with their partners. For example, “top” men typically prefer to engage in insertive anal sex and to receive oral sex from their partners, whereas “bottom” men typically prefer to engage in receptive anal sex and to perform oral sex on their partners. These same “top” and “bottom” labels also may be applied to other sexual acts. Men who self-identify as “versatile” are usually willing to engage in sexual activities on a relatively even give-and-take basis.

4. This would have limited the generalizability of findings derived from studying their ad/profile content greatly, because socioeconomic factors such as the ability to afford site membership would have influenced site membership. With the site used in this research, membership is free to all who wish to utilize the Web site, and additional membership features are available for purchase for persons wishing to upgrade their usage of the site.