Providing HIV Education and Outreach via Internet Chat Rooms to Men who Have Sex with Men

Abstract

This article describes a pilot project that provided Internet-based outreach and HIV educational information to Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM). The project provided services via chat rooms designated for MSM who meet there anonymously for sexual encounters. Services were designed to support behavior changes as well as serving a gateway function for additional services at the host agency. The experiences of the project suggest that the target population may engage in high-risk sexual activity more than what was initially assumed; and that Internet outreach provides a relevant means of conducting outreach to this group.

Key Words:

• HIV/AIDS
• outreach
• Internet
• men who have sex with men