TY - JOUR
T1 - Are sexual partners met online associated with HIV/STI risk behaviours? Retrospective and daily diary data in conflict
AU - Mustanski, B. S.
N1 - Funding Information:
Analyses and manuscript preparation were supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship. Funding for participant incentives came from a grant from the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction. Jarret Thompson, M.P.H. of Erie Family Health Center, Chicago, IL, Geri Donenberg and Erin Emerson, MA both of University of Illinois at Chicago provided helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper.
PY - 2007/7
Y1 - 2007/7
N2 - The association between Internet sex-seeking and sexual risk-taking was explored using both retrospective and daily diary methodology. Men who have sex with men (MSM) (N=113) were recruited through a variety of Internet sites. Participants completed retrospective questionnaires on their history of Internet use to seek sexual partners and their engagement in sexual risk-taking behaviours. Participants also completed daily diaries for up to 30 days, which assessed if partners were met through the Internet and what types of sexual contact occurred. Multilevel modelling was used to analyze the daily diary data. The retrospective and daily diary data produced opposite results. In the retrospective data, a history of online sex-seeking was associated with greater numbers of sexual partners in the last year, one-time sex partners, sex without condoms and failure to discuss partners' sexual histories. In the daily diary data, unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) was less likely to occur with partners met online than with partners met by other means. These data suggest that men who engage in high-risk sex with other men use the Internet as a tool for meeting sexual partners, not that meeting partners online causes high-risk sex.
AB - The association between Internet sex-seeking and sexual risk-taking was explored using both retrospective and daily diary methodology. Men who have sex with men (MSM) (N=113) were recruited through a variety of Internet sites. Participants completed retrospective questionnaires on their history of Internet use to seek sexual partners and their engagement in sexual risk-taking behaviours. Participants also completed daily diaries for up to 30 days, which assessed if partners were met through the Internet and what types of sexual contact occurred. Multilevel modelling was used to analyze the daily diary data. The retrospective and daily diary data produced opposite results. In the retrospective data, a history of online sex-seeking was associated with greater numbers of sexual partners in the last year, one-time sex partners, sex without condoms and failure to discuss partners' sexual histories. In the daily diary data, unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) was less likely to occur with partners met online than with partners met by other means. These data suggest that men who engage in high-risk sex with other men use the Internet as a tool for meeting sexual partners, not that meeting partners online causes high-risk sex.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34250631858&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34250631858&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09540120701237244
DO - 10.1080/09540120701237244
M3 - Article
C2 - 17573604
AN - SCOPUS:34250631858
SN - 0954-0121
VL - 19
SP - 822
EP - 827
JO - AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV
JF - AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV
IS - 6
ER -
