title: Attitudes about and HIV risk related to the "most common place" MSM meet their sex partners: comparing men from bathhouses, bars/clubs, and Craigslist.org.
abstract: This study examined attitudes toward the most common place where men who have sex with men (MSM) met their recent male sex partners. In 2009-2010, MSM were surveyed in bars/clubs, bathhouses, and on Craigslist.org . We found strong but differential overlap between venue of recruitment and participants' most common place: 81% of men from Craigslist indicated their most common place was the Internet, 65% of men from bathhouses indicated their most common place was bathhouses, and 47% of men from bars/clubs indicated their most common place was bars/clubs. In general, interest in seeing more information on drugs/alcohol and HIV and interacting with a health outreach worker in participants' most common place ranged from "agree" to "strongly agree." However, men whose most common place was bars/clubs rated these items lowest on average. Rates of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) were high (43%), thus targeted efforts in bars/clubs, bathhouses, and on the Internet may be ideal venues for reaching high-risk MSM. Although most common place was unrelated to UAI, it was related to factors that contextualize men's encounters (e.g., attitudes toward HIV status disclosure, and perceptions about barebacking, anonymous sex, and alcohol use). Outreach providers should consider these contextualizing aspects as they continue to retool their efforts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (CUNY), 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA. cgrov@brooklyn.cuny.edu
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grov
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Crow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012919:Social Behavior; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult