Online Partner Seeking and Sexual Risk Among HIV+ Gay and Bisexual Men: A Dialectical Perspective.
For almost two decades, researchers have explored the relationship between online partner seeking (OPS) and HIV/STI transmission risk behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM), including gay- and bisexual-identified men. A dichotomy has emerged with some findings that OPS is associated with greater sexual risk behavior, and a sparser but emerging literature that men may use OPS for sexual risk reduction. This study examined the association between proportion of partners met online and sexual risk behavior in a sample of 170 HIV-positive gay- and bisexual-identified men. Participants completed assessments including psychosocial factors and a comprehensive assessment of sexual behavior, including total number of male partners, and condomless insertive and receptive anal sex with HIV-negative/unknown serostatus partners or HIV-positive male partners. Our findings support taking a dialectical stance and indicate that OPS may impact risk differently given different individual and contextual circumstances.
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd., Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA. Dean.Cruess@uconn.edu.|Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, Storrs, CT, USA. Dean.Cruess@uconn.edu.
Dean G
DG
Cruess
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd., Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.|Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, Storrs, CT, USA.
Kaylee E
KE
Burnham
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd., Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.|Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, Storrs, CT, USA.
David J
DJ
Finitsis
Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, Storrs, CT, USA.
Chauncey
C
Cherry
Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, Storrs, CT, USA.
Tamar
T
Grebler
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd., Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.|Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, Storrs, CT, USA.
Brett M
BM
Goshe
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd., Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.|Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, Storrs, CT, USA.
Lauren
L
Strainge
Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, Storrs, CT, USA.
Moira O
MO
Kalichman
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd., Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.|Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, Storrs, CT, USA.
Seth C
SC
Kalichman
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012747:Sexual Partners; D055815:Young Adult
HIV; Internet; Online partner seeking; Sexual behavior; Sexual minority men; Sexual orientation