Level of ‘outness’ and pornography use among men who have sex with men: results from an online survey

Abstract

Higher levels of ‘outness’ – a fundamental experience of people who experience same-sex attraction or engage in same-sex relationships – have been associated with increased community engagement, improved self-worth and relationship satisfaction. Pornography viewing is common among men who have sex with men (MSM), and may be associated with outness. Current literature lacks analyses of outness and pornography viewing among MSM. In data taken from a 2009 online survey 1995 MSM participants reported accessing pornography via the Internet (58.8%), video/digital versatile disc (32.3%) and magazines (10.4%). Viewing of pornography portraying only safer sex encounters (oral sex, mutual masturbation and/or anal sex with condoms) was reported by 49.4%; 4.5% reported exclusively viewing high-risk sex (anal sex without condoms with/without oral sex or mutual masturbation); and 46.1% reported viewing both safer sex and high-risk pornography. In multivariable modelling – compared to the other two groups – men who watched only safer sex pornography were more likely to report being single, HIV negative, a lower degree of outness and to indicate their sex life resembled pornography. Self-identifying as gay was not associated with type of pornography watched. These findings highlight the need to incorporate level of outness when analysing pornography-viewing behaviours among MSM, as outness may be associated with different viewing habits.

Keywords:

• pornography
• outness
• gay and bisexual men
• safer sex
• unprotected sex

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the volunteers who mentioned this phenomenon for inspiring this project, the bloggers who were kind enough to support this research and the NYU/Bellevue AIDS Clinical Trials Unit Community Advisory Board for their feedback.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard J. Silvera

Richard J.Silvera is currently a medical student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He has a Master’s in Public Health and worked as a researcher at the NYU School of Medicine focusing on behavioural and pharmacologic interventions to prevent HIV transmission and identify acute HIV infection.

Christian Grov

Christian Grov research centres on improving the sexual health of gay and bisexual men. His work has explored drug use, sexual compulsivity and the role of Internet in revolutionising the sexual networks of gay and bisexual men. Collectively, his body of work seeks to inform HIV prevention and education.

Dylan J. Stein

Dylan J.Stein is a licensed acupuncturist and nationally certified practitioner of Oriental Medicine in New York City. While studying for his Master’s degree, Dylan worked as a research data associate in the NYU School of Medicine Center for AIDS Research. Dylan’s practice focuses on dermatology, men’s health and pain management.

Robert Hagerty

Robert Hagerty was the Subject Recruitment Manager for clinical trials in the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. He previously worked as a coordinator of HIV clinical trials at NYU School of Medicine for 15 years and as an HIV Health Educator at Bellevue Hospital for eight years.

Michael Marmor

Michael Marmor is an epidemiologist whose current research focuses on both HIV/AIDS and the health impacts of exposure to the attacks of 9/11/2001 in New York City. He collaborated in reporting the first cases of Kaposi’s sarcoma among New York City gay men to the Centers for Disease Control in 1981.