Utilization of Electronic Media to Obtain Social Support Among Older Men who have Sex with Men and Associated Support Outcomes

Abstract

Men who have sex with men (MSM) over 45 years of age are more likely to report loneliness and bear a disproportionate percentage of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disease burden than their heterosexual peers. Social support is a buffer against loneliness and is also associated with improved HIV health. To investigate the perceived social support of older MSM and the methods they used to communicate with people in their support networks, we surveyed 1,066 middle age and aging men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. We found that 24.6% of participants reported primarily communicating electronically with people in their support networks, and that these participants were more likely to be HIV-positive, to have lower social support scores, and lower support satisfaction. The findings of this study suggest that one in four older HIV-positive MSM may face barriers to obtaining social support in person, and that interventions to increase in-person support may be warranted.