Mr. Right and Mr. Right Now: romantic and casual partner-seeking online among young men who have sex with men.
Dating is a normative behavior for youth, yet few studies have examined the relationship between romantic partner-seeking and sexual behavior among young men who have sex with men (YMSM). This omission is most notable across studies examining YMSM's partner-seeking behaviors online. In this study, we examined the relationship between sexual behaviors and online partner-seeking behaviors for casual and romantic partners in a sample of YMSM (N = 431; M = 21.49 years old, SD = 1.94) who reported using the Internet to meet other men. Using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), we found YMSM in the High Romantic/High Casual group had more unprotected partners than YMSM in other categories. YMSM in the High Romantic/Low Casual group had fewer unprotected partners than the High Romantic/High Casual group. We discuss the implications of our findings and conclude that there is a need to further examine romantic partner-seeking among YMSM.
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. jbauerme@umich.edu
José A
JA
Bauermeister
Matthew
M
Leslie-Santana
Michelle Marie
MM
Johns
Emily
E
Pingel
Anna
A
Eisenberg
D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012747:Sexual Partners; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult