Rejection-identification and increased use of geosocial networking apps to meet male sexual partners among Black men who have sex with men.

Abstract

Objective: The use of geosocial networking (GSN) apps to meet male sexual partners may contribute to HIV infection risk for Black men who have sex with men (MSM), but the psychosocial underpinnings of this behavior are not understood. In social psychology, the Rejection-Identification Model posits that identification with a socially stigmatized group emerges as a means of coping in response to perceived stigmatization-which can shape behavior. This study tested the Rejection-Identification process as a facilitator of increased use of GSN apps to meet male sexual partners among Black MSM who use these apps. Method: Black MSM (N = 103; Mage = 29.8) reporting a male sexual partner from a GSN app in the past year were recruited nationally from Grindr and Facebook. Participants completed an online survey in which they reported sociodemographic information, measures of racial stigma and Black identity, and characteristics of their past-year male sexual partners. Results: Participants in this sample reported that most of their past-year male partners came from GSN apps (Mpercent = 82.3), and results from hypothesis testing showed that greater perceived devaluation of Black people in society (i.e., public racial stigma) was associated with an increased percentage of GSN-met partners. In line with the Rejection-Identification Model, this relationship was mediated by greater Black identity centrality. Conclusions: Findings highlight psychosocial correlates of increased GSN app use to meet male sexual partners among Black MSM, which may place Black MSM at increased risk for HIV infection. Results also point to the possibility that these factors may be harnessed to develop HIV prevention strategies for Black MSM. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).