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Social Media Use and High-Risk Sexual Behavior Among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Three-City Study

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Abstract

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionate burden of human immunodeficiency (HIV) incidence in the United States. Little research has focused on the associations between social media use and sexual behavior among Black MSM. 205 Black MSM completed measures assessing social media use and sexual behaviors. Men spent an average of 34 h per week on social media sites. 53 % arranged sexual hookups online in the previous 3 months, and did so a mean of 10 times. Overall, users of social media and men who arranged sexual hookups online engaged in more risky behaviors than non-users and men who did not arrange sexual hookups online. However, partner-level data indicated that men engaged in fewer risky behaviors with partners met online compared to partners met in other ways such as at bars or through friends. Social media-based interventions designed to decrease HIV transmission among racial minority MSM are needed.

Resumen

Hombres afroamericanos que tienen sexo con hombres (HSH) soportan una carga desproporcionada de incidencia de VIH en los Estados Unidos. Pocas investigaciones han enfocado en las relaciones entre el uso de medios de comunicación social y conductas sexuales entre HSH afroamericanos. 205 HSH afroamericanos completaron encuestas que midieron su uso de medios de comunicación social y conductas sexuales. Hombres pasaron una media de 34 horas por semana en sitios de medios de comunicación social. 53 % usaron el internet para conectar con hombres para tener sexo. En total, los que usaron medios de comunicación social y los que usaron el internet para encontrar hombres para tener sexo participaron en más conductas de riesgo que los que no usaron medios de comunicación social y los que no usaron el internet para encontrar hombres para tener sex. Sin embargo, datos al nivel de pareja indicaron que hombres participaron en menos conductas de riesgo con parejas que encontraron por internet en comparación a parejas que encontraron en otras maneras como en bares o por amigos. Se necesita intervenciones por medios de comunicación social para reducir la transmisión de VIH entre HSH de minoría racial.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grant R01-MH089128 and by Center Grant P30-MH052776 from the National Institute of Mental Health. We extend appreciation to the study’s Senior Scientific Advisory Committee (John Peterson, Ph.D., David Malebranche, Ph.D., Sheldon Fields, Ph.D., R.N., and Robert Miller, Ph.D.) for their consultation. We’d like to thank members of the Connections Creating Change study team: Broderick Pearson, Cheryl “Caz” Sitzler, and Prentise Vann-Beets, Center for AIDS Intervention Research; LaRaun Clayton, Jordian Foster, Travis Garry, Brione Martin, and Tracy Jones (director), AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland; Donovan Floyd, Manh Nguyen, and Charles Martin (director), South Beach AIDS Project. Finally, we’d like to thank the study participants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine, Center for AIDS Intervention Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, 2071 N. Summit Ave., Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Michelle R. Broaddus, Wayne J. DiFranceisco, Jeffrey A. Kelly, Yuri A. Amirkhanian & Julia D. Dickson-Gomez

  2. Department of Psychology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

    Janet S. St. Lawrence

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  1. Michelle R. Broaddus
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  2. Wayne J. DiFranceisco
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  3. Jeffrey A. Kelly
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  4. Janet S. St. Lawrence
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  5. Yuri A. Amirkhanian
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  6. Julia D. Dickson-Gomez
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Correspondence to Michelle R. Broaddus.

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Broaddus, M.R., DiFranceisco, W.J., Kelly, J.A. et al. Social Media Use and High-Risk Sexual Behavior Among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Three-City Study. AIDS Behav 19 (Suppl 2), 90–97 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-014-0980-z

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