title: Social Media Use and HIV-Related Risk Behaviors in Young Black and Latino Gay and Bi Men and Transgender Individuals in New York City: Implications for Online Interventions.
abstract: Urban young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and transgender women continue to experience high rates of new HIV infections in the USA, yet most of this population is not reached by current prevention interventions. The rate of Internet and social media use among youth is high. However, continually updated understanding of the associations between social media access and use and HIV risk behaviors is needed to reach and tailor technology-delivered interventions for those most vulnerable to HIV-racially and ethnically diverse urban YMSM and transgender persons. Thus, we conducted an in-person, venue-based cross-sectional survey among young gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals at locations primarily visited by Black and Latino gay and bisexual and transgender individuals in New York City to understand social media use and how it may relate to HIV risk behaviors to inform social media-based interventions. Among 102 primarily Black and Latino gay and bisexual men (75.5 %) and transgender women (19.6 %), over 90 % were under 30 years of age, 18.6 % reported homelessness in the past 6 months, and 10.8 % reported having HIV. All participants used social media, most accessed these platforms most often via a mobile device (67.6 %) and most logged on multiple times per day (87.3 %). Participants used social media to seek sex partners (56.7 %), exchange sex for money or clothes (19.6 %), and exchange sex for drugs (9.8 %). These results confirm prior studies demonstrating the feasibility of using social media platforms to reach at-risk, urban youth. Of particular concern is the association between recent STI and exchanging sex for money/clothes and drugs. Interventions using social media for young, urban minority MSM and transgender populations should incorporate risk reduction modules addressing exchange partners and promote frequent and regular HIV/STI testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 E. 210th Street, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA. vpatel@montefiore.org.
authors.forename: Viraj V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3544 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA.
authors.forename: Mariya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masyukova
authors.affiliation: Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, 101 Dudley Street, Providence, RI, 02905, USA.
authors.forename: Desmond
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South Second Street, #300, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA.
authors.forename: Keith J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Horvath
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000523:psychology; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D063106:Transgender Persons / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Gay; HIV; LGBT; Prevention; Social media; Social networking; Technology