Abstract
The present study entailed conducting a content analysis of 1,434 ads/profiles posted on one of the most popular “Men who have Sex with Men” (MSM) websites that specifically fosters unprotected sex. Ads/profiles were selected randomly based on the American ZIP code of residence (n = 1,316), with a randomly-drawn oversampling of profiles of men who self-identified as heterosexual or “curious” rather than gay or bisexual (n = 118). Data were collected between September 2006 and September 2007. The purpose of the present paper is to examine the conjoint effects of self-identified sexual orientation and preference for having/not having sex while high, on men’s sought-after sexual risk. Analytical comparisons of the four groups showed that, on most measures, the combination of sexual orientation and drug use preference during sex differentiated the men. Generally speaking, gay/bisexual men who advertised online for partners with whom they could have sex while high expressed the greatest interest in risky sexual behaviors (e.g., felching, unprotected oral sex, unprotected anal sex) and various risk-related preferences (e.g., multiple partner sex, anonymous sex, eroticizing ejaculatory fluids). This is especially true when they are compared to their heterosexual/“curious” counterparts whose online profiles were not as likely to indicate a desire for having sex while high.
Highlights
Men who have sex with other men (MSM) comprise the largest proportion of Americans who have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, accounting for 57% of all reported cases of AIDS with a known source of transmission and 57% of all HIV-positive persons who believed that they knew how they became HIV-infected [1]
Many factors have been identified, including the belief that engaging in unprotected sex is an expression of individual choice [4,5], the belief that engaging in unprotected sex is an expression of masculinity [6,7,8], the perception that AIDS antiretroviral drugs have made HIV/AIDS less of a health concern than in prior years [9,10], a fear of being rejected sexually by partners who dislike condoms [10], the belief that sex is more pleasurable when condoms are not used [11,12,13], feeling “burned out” by worrying about becoming HIV-infected [9,12], and feeling a greater sense of emotional connectedness to sexual partners with whom one had unprotected rather than protected sex [13,14]
In another study [16], among men actively using the internet as a means of locating potential sex partners, 97% reported having met someone online for sex, and 86% said that they used internet Men who have Sex with Men” (MSM) sex sites at least once a week to identify possible partners
Summary
Men who have sex with other men (MSM) comprise the largest proportion of Americans who have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, accounting for 57% of all reported cases of AIDS with a known source of transmission and 57% of all HIV-positive persons who believed that they knew how they became HIV-infected [1]. “traditional” avenues of meeting other men–e.g., gay bars, gay/bisexual-oriented social activities, personal ads–remain popular ways of meeting potential sex partners. Another common way for men who wish to have unprotected sex with other men to locate potential partners is by frequenting public venues (e.g., parks, rest areas, rest rooms) where male-to-male cruising is known to take place. In another study [16], among men actively using the internet as a means of locating potential sex partners, 97% reported having met someone online for sex, and 86% said that they used internet MSM sex sites at least once a week to identify possible partners. Based on a multi-site internet study of MSM, Mutanski [17]
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