Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Recruiting a US National Sample of HIV-Negative Gay and Bisexual Men to Complete at-Home Self-Administered HIV/STI Testing and Surveys: Challenges and Opportunities

  • Published:
Sexuality Research and Social Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We describe enrollment for the One Thousand Strong panel, present characteristics of the panel relative to other large US national studies of gay and bisexual men (GBM), and examine demographic and behavioral characteristics that were associated with passing enrollment milestones. A US national sample of HIV-negative men was enrolled via an established online panel of over 22,000 GBM. Participants (n = 1071) passed three milestones to join our panel. Milestone 1 was screening eligible and providing informed consent. Milestone 2 involved completing an hour-long at-home computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) survey. Milestone 3 involved completing at-home self-administered rapid HIV testing and collecting/returning urine and rectal samples for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing. Compared to those who completed milestones: Those not passing milestone 1 were more likely to be non-White and older; those not passing milestone 2 were less likely to have insurance or a primary care physician; and those not passing milestone 3 were less educated, more likely to be bisexual as opposed to gay, more likely to live in the Midwest, had fewer male partners in the past year, and less likely to have tested for HIV in the past year. Effect sizes for significant findings were small. We successfully enrolled a national sample of HIV-negative GBM who completed at-home CASI assessments and at-home self-administered HIV and urine and rectal STI testing. This indicates high feasibility and acceptability of incorporating self-administered biological assays into otherwise fully online studies. Differences in completion of study milestones indicate a need for further investigation into the reasons for lower engagement by certain groups.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adam, B. D., Murray, J., Ross, S., Oliver, J., Lincoln, S. G., & Rynard, V. (2011). HIVstigma.com, an innovative web-supported stigma reduction intervention for gay and bisexual men. Health Education Research, 26(5), 795–807. doi:10.1093/her/cyq078.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bauermeister, J. A., Carballo-Dieguez, A., Ventuneac, A., & Dolezal, C. (2009). Assessing motivations to engage in intentional condomless anal intercourse in HIV risk contexts ("bareback sex") among men who have sex with men. AIDS Education and Prevention, 21(2), 156–168.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bauermeister, J. A., Pingel, E., Zimmerman, M., Couper, M., Carballo-Dieguez, A., & Strecher, V. J. (2012a). Data quality in HIV/AIDS web-based surveys: handling invalid and suspicious data. Field Methods, 24(3), 272–291.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bauermeister, J. A., Ventuneac, A., Pingel, E., & Parsons, J. T. (2012b). Spectrums of love: examining the relationship between romantic motivations and sexual risk among young gay and bisexual men. AIDS and Behavior, 16(6), 1549–1559. doi:10.1007/s10461-011-0123-8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bell, D., & Valentine, G. (1995). Queer country: rural lesbian and gay lives. Journal of Rural Studies, 11(2), 113–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, A. M. (2005). Internet sexuality research with rural men who have sex with men: can we recruit and retain them? Journal of Sex Research, 42(4), 317–323.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, A. M., Horvath, K., & Williams, M. L. (2007). A randomized control trial of Internet-delivered HIV prevention targeting rural MSM. Health Education Research, 22(1), 120–127. doi:10.1093/her/cyl057.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bull, S., Lloyd, L., Rietmeijer, C., & McFarlane, M. (2004). Recruitment and retention of an online sample for an HIV prevention intervention targeting men who have sex with men: the smart sex quest project. AIDS Care, 16(8), 931–943.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, E. R., Pines, H. A., Robbie, E., Coleman, L., Murphy, R. D., Hess, K. L., & Gorbach, P. M. (2012). Use of the location-based social networking application GRINDR as a recruitment tool in rectal microbicide development research. AIDS and Behavior, 16(7), 1816–1820. doi:10.1007/s10461-012-0277-z.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Carballo-Diéguez, A., Ventuneac, A., Dowsett, G. W., Balan, I., Bauermeister, J., Remien, R. H., & Mabragaña, M. (2011). Sexual pleasure and intimacy among men who engage in “bareback sex”. AIDS and Behavior, 15(1), 57–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter, K. M., Stoner, S. A., Mikko, A. N., Dhanak, L. P., & Parsons, J. T. (2009). Efficacy of a web-based intervention to reduce sexual risk in men who have sex with men. AIDS and Behavior, 14, 549–557. doi:10.1007/s10461-009-9578-2.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Catania, J. A., Osmond, D., Stall, R. D., Pollack, L., Paul, J. P., Blower, S., & Coates, T. C. (2001). The continuing HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men. American Journal of Public Health, 91(6), 907–914.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • CDC. (2014). Health disparities in HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STDs, and TB: African Americans/Blacks. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/healthdisparities/AfricanAmericans.html

  • CDC. (2015a). HIV surveillance - men who have sex with men (MSM). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/statistics_surveillance_MSM.pdf

  • CDC. (2015b). HIV surveillance – epidemiology of HIV infection (through 2013). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HIV/library/slidesets/index.html

  • Chang, L., & Krosnick, J. A. (2009). National surveys via RDD telephone interviewing versus the internet. Public Opinion Quarterly, 73(4), 641–678. doi:10.1093/poq/nfp075.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiasson, M. A., Hirshfield, S., Humberstone, M., DiFilippi, J., Koblin, B. A., & Remien, R. H. (2005). Increased high risk sexual behavior after September 11 in men who have sex with men: an internet survey. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34, 525–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiasson, M. A., Hirshfield, S., Remien, R. H., Humberstone, M., Wong, T., & Wolitski, R. J. (2007). A comparison of on-line and off-line sexual risk in men who have sex with men: an event-based on-line survey. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 44, 235–243.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chiasson, M. A., Hirshfield, S., & Rietmeijer, C. (2010). HIV prevention and care in the digital age. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 55(Suppl 2), S94–97. doi:10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181fcb878.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chiasson, M. A., Parsons, J. T., Tesoriero, J. M., Carballo-Dieguez, A., Hirshfield, S., & Remien, R. H. (2006). HIV behavioral research online. Journal of Urban Health, 83(1), 73–85.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chiasson, M. A., Shuchat Shaw, F., Humberstone, M., Hirshfield, S., & Hartel, D. (2009). Increased HIV disclosure three months after and online video intervention for men who have sex with men (MSM). AIDS Care, 21(9), 1081–1089.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, J. L., Miller, L. C., Appleby, P. R., Corsbie-Massay, C., Godoy, C. G., Marsella, S. C., & Read, S. J. (2013). Reducing shame in a game that predicts HIV risk reduction for young adult men who have sex with men: a randomized trial delivered nationally over the web. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 16(3Suppl 2).

  • Coleman, E., Horvath, K. J., Miner, M., Ross, M. W., Oakes, M., & Rosser, B. R. (2010). Compulsive sexual behavior and risk for unsafe Sex among internet using Men Who have Sex with Men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39, 1045–1053. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9507-5.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • D’Augelli, A. R., & Hart, M. M. (1987). Gay women, men, and families in rural settings: toward the development of helping communities. American Journal of Community Psychology, 15(1), 79–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Delaney, K. P., Kramer, M. R., Waller, L. A., Flanders, W. D., & Sullivan, P. S. (2014). Using a geolocation social networking application to calculate the population density of sex-seeking gay men for research and prevention services. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(11).

  • Domeika, M., Oscarsson, L., Hallén, A., Hjelm, E., & Sylvan, S. (2007). Mailed urine samples are not an effective screening approach for Chlamydia trachomatis case finding among young men. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 21(6), 789–794.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Elford, J., Bolding, G., Davis, M., Sherr, L., & Hart, G. (2004). Web-based behavioural surveillance among men who have sex with men: a comparison of online and offline samples in London, UK. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 35(4), 421–426.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez, M. I., Varga, L. M., Perrino, T., Collazo, J. B., Subiaul, F., Rehbein, A., & Bowen, G. S. (2004). The internet as recruitment tool for HIV studies: a viable strategy for researching at-risk Hispanic MSM in Miami? AIDS Care, 16(8), 953–963.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gass, K., Hoff, C. C., Stephenson, R., & Sullivan, P. S. (2012). Sexual agreements in the partnerships of Internet-using men who have sex with men. AIDS Care, 24, 1255–1263. doi:10.1080/09540121.2012.656571.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gaydos, C. A., Barnes, M., Jett-Goheen, M., Quinn, N., Whittle, P., Hogan, T., & Hsieh, Y.-H. (2013). Characteristics and predictors of women who obtain rescreening for sexually transmitted infections using the http://www.iwantthekit.org screening programme. International Journal of STD and AIDS, 24(9), 736–744.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Greacen, T., Friboulet, D., Blachier, A., Fugon, L., Hefez, S., Lorente, N., & Spire, B. (2013). Internet-using men who have sex with men would be interested in accessing authorised HIV self-tests available for purchase online. AIDS Care, 25(1), 49–54. doi:10.1080/09540121.2012.687823.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grey, J. A., Konstan, J., Iantaffi, A., Wilkerson, J. M., Galos, D., & Rosser, B. R. S. (2015). An updated protocol to detect invalid entries in an online survey of men who have sex with men (MSM): how do valid and invalid submissions compare? AIDS and Behavior, 1–10. doi:10.1007/s10461-015-1033-y.

  • Grov, C., Agyemang, L., Ventuneac, A., & Breslow, A. S. (2013a). Navigating condom use and HIV status disclosure with partners met online: a qualitative pilot study with gay and bisexual men from Craigslist.org. AIDS Education and Prevention, 25, 70–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grov, C., Breslow, A. S., Newcomb, M. E., Rosenberger, J. G., & Bauermeister, J. A. (2014a). Gay and bisexual men’s use of the internet: research from the 1990s through 2013. Annual Review of Sex Research, 51(4), 390–409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grov, C., Rendina, H. J., Breslow, A. S., Ventuneac, A., Adelson, S., & Parsons, J. T. (2014b). Characteristics of men who have sex with men (MSM) who attend sex parties: results from a national online sample in the U.S. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 90, 26–32. doi:10.1136/sextrans-2013-051094.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Grov, C., Rendina, H. J., Ventuneac, A., & Parsons, J. T. (2013b). HIV risk in group sexual encounters: an event-level analysis from an online survey of MSM in the U.S. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 10, 2285–2294. doi:10.1111/jsm.12227.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Grov, C., Rodriguez-Diaz, C. E., Ditmore, M. H., Restar, A., & Parsons, J. T. (2014c). What kinds of workshops do Internet-based male escorts want? Implications for prevention and health promotion. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 11, 176–185. doi:10.1007/s13178-014-0151-z.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herbenick, D., Reece, M., Sanders, S., Dodge, B., Ghassemi, A., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2009). Prevalence and characteristics of vibrator use by women in the United States: results from a nationally representative study. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 6, 1857–1866. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01318.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herbenick, D., Reece, M., Schick, V., Sanders, S. A., Dodge, B., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2010). Sexual behavior in the United States: results from a national probability sample of men and women ages 14–94. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7(s5), 255–265.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herek, G. M., Norton, A. T., Allen, T. J., & Sims, C. L. (2010). Demographic, psychological, and social characteristics of self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in a US probability sample. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 7(3), 176–200.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez-Romieu, A. C., Sullivan, P. S., Sanchez, T. H., Kelley, C. F., Peterson, J. L., Del Rio, C., & Rosenberg, E. S. (2014). The comparability of men who have sex with men recruited from venue-time-space sampling and Facebook: a cohort study. JMIR Research Protocols, 3(3), e37. doi:10.2196/resprot.3342.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Herrick, A. L., Stall, R., Goldhammer, H., Egan, J. E., & Mayer, K. H. (2014). Resilience as a research framework and as a cornerstone of prevention research for gay and bisexual men: theory and evidence. AIDS and Behavior, 18, 1–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hightow-Weidman, L. B., Muessig, K. E., Pike, E. C., LeGrand, S., Baltierra, N., Rucker, A. J., & Wilson, P. (2015). HealthMpowerment.org: building community through a mobile-optimized, online health promotion intervention. Health Education and Behavior. doi:10.1177/1090198114562043.

  • Hirshfield, S., Chiasson, M. A., Joseph, H., Scheinmann, R., Johnson, W. D., Remien, R. H., & Margolis, A. D. (2012). An online randomized controlled trial evaluating HIV prevention digital media interventions for men who have sex with men. PLoS ONE, 7(10), e46252.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hirshfield, S., Chiasson, M. A., Wagmiller, R. L., Jr., Remien, R. H., Humberstone, M., Scheinmann, R., & Grov, C. (2010). Sexual dysfunction in a U.S. Internet sample of men who have sex with men. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7, 3104–3114. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01636.x.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hirshfield, S., Grov, C., Parsons, J. T., Anderson, I., & Chiasson, M. A. (2015). Social media use and HIV transmission risk behavior among ethnically diverse HIV-positive gay men: results of an online study in three states. Archives of Sexual Behavior. doi:10.1007/s10461-015-1030-1.

    PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hirshfield, S., Remien, R. H., Humberstone, M., Walavalkar, I., & Chiasson, M. A. (2004). Substance use and high-risk sex among men who have sex with men: a national online study in the USA. AIDS Care, 16(8), 1036–1047.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hirshfield, S., Wolitski, R. J., Chiasson, M. A., Remien, R. H., Humberstone, M., & Wong, T. (2008). Screening for depressive symptoms in an online sample of men who have sex with men. AIDS Care, 20(8), 904–910.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Holland, C. M., Ritchie, N. D., & Du Bois, S. N. (2015). iTunes song-gifting is a low-cost, efficient recruitment tool to engage high-risk MSM in Internet research. AIDS and Behavior. doi:10.1007/s10461-015-1130-y.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holloway, I., Dunlap, S., del Pino, H. E., Hermanstyne, K., Pulsipher, C., & Landovitz, R. J. (2014a). Online social networking, sexual risk and protective behaviors: considerations for clinicians and researchers. Current Addiction Reports, 1(3), 220–228. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4309385/pdf/nihms-646471.pdf.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Holloway, I., Rice, E., Gibbs, J., Winetrobe, H., Dunlap, S., & Rhoades, H. (2014b). Acceptability of smartphone application-based HIV prevention among young men who have sex with men. AIDS and Behavior, 18(2), 285–296. doi:10.1007/s10461-013-0671-1.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Horvath, K. J., Beadnell, B., & Bowen, A. M. (2006). Sensation seeking as a moderator of Internet use on sexual risk taking among men who have sex with men. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 3(4), 77–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jain, A., & Ross, M. W. (2008). Predictors of drop-out in an Internet study of men who have sex with men. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 11(5), 583–586. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.0038.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kalichman, S. C., Benotsch, E. G., Weinhardt, L. S., Austin, J., & Luke, W. (2002a). Internet use among people living with HIV/AIDS: association of health information, health behaviors, and health status. AIDS Education and Prevention, 14(1), 51–61.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kalichman, S. C., Weinhardt, L., Benotsch, E., DiFonzo, K., Luke, W., & Austin, J. (2002b). Internet access and Internet use for health information among people living with HIV-AIDS. Patient Education and Counseling, 46(2), 109–116. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11867240.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Khosropour, C. M., Johnson, B. A., Ricca, A. V., & Sullivan, P. S. (2013). Enhancing retention of an Internet-based cohort study of men who have sex with men (MSM) via text messaging: randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15(8), e194. doi:10.2196/jmir.2756.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Khosropour, C. M., & Sullivan, P. S. (2011). Predictors of retention in an online follow-up study of men who have sex with men. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(3), e47. doi:10.2196/jmir.1717.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kok, G., Harterink, P., Vriens, P., De Zwart, O., & Hospers, H. J. (2006). The gay cruise: developing a theory-and evidence-based Internet HIV-prevention intervention. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 3(2), 52–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Konstan, J. A., Simon, B. R. S., Ross, M. W., Stanton, J., & Edwards, W. M. (2005). The story of subject naught: a cautionary but optimistic tale of internet survey research. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10(2), 00–00. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2005.tb00248.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lelutiu-Weinberger, C., Pachankis, J. E., Gamarel, K. E., Surace, A., Golub, S. A., & Parsons, J. T. (2014). Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a live-chat social media intervention to reduce HIV risk among young men who have sex with men. AIDS and Behavior, 19, 2014–1227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcus, U., Hickson, F., Weatherburn, P., & Schmidt, A. J. (2013). Age biases in a large HIV and sexual behaviour-related internet survey among MSM. BMC Public Health, 13, 826. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-826.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez, O., Wu, E., Shultz, A. Z., Capote, J., Lopez Rios, J., Sandfort, T., & Rhodes, S. D. (2014). Still a hard-to-reach population? Using social media to recruit Latino gay couples for an HIV adaptation study. Journal of Medical and Internet Research, 16(4), e113. Retrieved from http://www.jmir.org/2014/4/e113/.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, J. E., Stephenson, R., & Sullivan, P. S. (2012). Factors associated with self-reported HBV vaccination among HIV-negative MSM participating in an online sexual health survey: a cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE, 7(2), e30609. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0030609.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, J. W., & Petroll, A. E. (2012). Patterns of HIV and STI testing among MSM couples in the US. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 39(11), 871.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, J. W., & Petroll, A. E. (2013). Factors associated with Men in HIV-negative Gay couples Who practiced UAI within and outside of their relationship. AIDS and Behavior, 17, 1329–1337. doi:10.1007/s10461-012-0255-5.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mustanski, B. (2001). Getting wired: exploiting the internet for the collection of valid sexuality data. Journal of Sex Research, 38(4), 292–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mustanski, B., Greene, G. J., Ryan, D., & Whitton, S. W. (2015). Feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of an online sexual health promotion program for LGBT youth: the queer sex Ed intervention. The Journal of Sex Research, 52(2), 220–230.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mustanski, B., Rendina, H. J., Greene, G. J., Sullivan, P. S., & Parsons, J. T. (2014). Testing negative means I’m lucky, making good choices, or immune: diverse reactions to HIV test results are associated with risk behaviors. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 48(3), 371–159.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Navejas, M., Neaigus, A., Torian, L., & Murrill, C. (2012). Participation in online and offline HIV prevention among men who have sex with men who use the Internet to meet sex partners in New York City. AIDS and Behavior, 16(2), 389–395. doi:10.1007/s10461-011-9934-x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Novak, D. P., & Karlsson, R. B. (2006). Simplifying chlamydia testing: an innovative Chlamydia trachomatis testing approach using the internet and a home sampling strategy: population based study. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 82(2), 142–147.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Oldenburg, C. E., Perez-Brumer, A. G., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Krakower, D., Novak, D. S., Mimiaga, M. J., & Mayer, K. H. (2015). State-level structural sexual stigma and HIV prevention in a national online sample of HIV-uninfected MSM in the United States. AIDS, 29(7), 837–845.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pachankis, J. E., Rendina, H. J., Ventuneac, A., Grov, C., & Parsons, J. T. (2014). The role of maladaptive cognitions in hypersexuality among highly sexually active gay and bisexual men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 43(4), 669–683. doi:10.1007/s10508-014-0261-y.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, J. T., Vial, A. C., Starks, T. J., & Golub, S. A. (2013). Recruiting drug using men who have sex with men in behavioral intervention trials: a comparison of internet and field-based strategies. AIDS and Behavior, 17, 688–699. doi:10.1007/s10461-012-0231-0.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Pequegnat, W., Rosser, B. R., Bowen, A. M., Bull, S. S., DiClemente, R. J., Bockting, W. O., & Zimmerman, R. (2007). Conducting Internet-based HIV/STD prevention survey research: considerations in design and evaluation. AIDS and Behavior, 11(4), 505–521. doi:10.1007/s10461-006-9172-9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Preston, D. B., & D’Augelli, A. R. (2013). The challenges of being a rural gay man: coping with stigma. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, D. W., Johnson, C. H., Lansky, A., Prejean, J., Stein, R., Denning, P., & Crepaz, N. (2012). Estimating the population size of men who have sex with men in the United States to obtain HIV and syphilis rates. Open AIDS Journal, 6(1), 98–107.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond, H. F., Rebchook, G., Curotto, A., Vaudrey, J., Amsden, M., Levine, D., & McFarland, W. (2010). Comparing Internet-based and venue-based methods to sample MSM in the San Francisco Bay area. AIDS and Behavior, 14(1), 218–224. doi:10.1007/s10461-009-9521-6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reece, M., Herbenick, D., Fortenberry, J. D., Sanders, S., Schick, V., Dodge, B., & Middlestadt, S. E. (2010). Findings from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB) - Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7(S5), 362–373.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reece, M., Herbenick, D., Sanders, S. A., Dodge, B., Ghassemi, A., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2009). Prevalence and characteristics of vibrator use by men in the United States. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 6, 1867–1874. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01290.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rendina, H. J., Breslow, A. S., Grov, C., Ventuneac, A., Starks, T. J., & Parsons, J. T. (2014a). Interest in couples-based voluntary HIV counseling and testing in a national U.S. Sample of gay and bisexual men: the role of demographic and HIV risk factors. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 43, 149–159. doi:10.1007/s10508-013-0226-6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rendina, H. J., Jimenez, R. H., Grov, C., Ventuneac, A., & Parsons, J. T. (2014b). Patterns of lifetime and recent HIV testing among men who have sex with men in New York City who use Grindr. AIDS and Behavior, 18, 41–49.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rietmeijer, C. A., & Shamos, S. J. (2007). HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention online: current state and future prospects. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 4(2), 65–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, E. S., Rothenberg, R. B., Kleinbaum, D. G., Stephenson, R. B., & Sullivan, P. S. (2013). The implications of respondent concurrency on sex partner risk in a national, web-based study of men who have sex with men in the United States. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 63(4), 514–521.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberger, J. G., Reece, M., Schick, V., Herbenick, D., Novak, D. S., Van Der Pol, B., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2011). Sexual behaviors and situational characteristics of most recent male-partnered sexual event among gay and bisexually identified men in the United States. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 8, 3040–3050.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenmann, A., & Safir, M. P. (2007). Gay identity nonendorsement and the role of dissociative characteristics in a culturally diverse online sample of men who have sex with men. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 4(2), 18–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosser, B. R., Oakes, J. M., Horvath, K. J., Konstan, J. A., Danilenko, G. P., & Peterson, J. L. (2009). HIV sexual risk behavior by men who use the Internet to seek sex with men: results of the Men’s INTernet Sex Study-II (MINTS-II). AIDS and Behavior, 13(3), 488–498. doi:10.1007/s10461-009-9524-3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosser, B. R., Oakes, J. M., Konstan, J., Hooper, S., Horvath, K. J., Danilenko, G. P., & Smolenski, D. J. (2010). Reducing HIV risk behavior of men who have sex with men through persuasive computing: results of the Men’s INTernet Study-II. AIDS, 24(13), 2099–2107. doi:10.1097/QAD.0b013e32833c4ac7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez, T., Smith, A., Denson, D., Dinenno, E., & Lansky, A. (2012a). Developing a web-based HIV behavioral surveillance pilot project among men who have sex with men. Open AIDS Journal, 6, 224–231. doi:10.2174/1874613601206010224.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez, T., Smith, A., Denson, D., DiNenno, E., & Lansky, A. (2012b). Internet-based methods may reach higher-risk men who have sex with men not reached through venue-based sampling. Open AIDS Journal, 6(1), 83–89.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, A., Stephenson, R. B., White, D., & Sullivan, P. S. (2014). Acceptability and intended usage preferences for six HIV testing options among Internet-using men who have sex with men. Springer Plus, 3, 109.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, A., Sullivan, P. S., & Khosropour, C. M. (2011). Willingness to take a free home HIV test and associated factors among Internet-using men who have sex with men. Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, 10, 357–364. doi:10.1177/1545109711404946.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegler, A. J., Sullivan, P. S., Khosropour, C. M., & Rosenberg, E. S. (2013). The role of intent in serosorting behaviors among MSM sexual partnerships. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 64(3), 307–314. doi:10.1097/QAI.0b013e3182a0e880.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sineath, R. C., Finneran, C., Sullivan, P. S., Sanchez, T., Smith, D. K., van Griensven, F., & Stephenson, R. (2013). Knowledge of and interest in using preexposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention among men who have sex with men in Thailand. Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, 12(4), 227–231. doi:10.1177/2325957413488184.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, P. S., Grey, J. A., & Rosser, B. R. S. (2013). Emerging technologies for HIV prevention for MSM: what we’ve learned, and ways forward. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 63(0 1), S102–S107.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, P. S., Khosropour, C. M., Luisi, N., Amsden, M., Coggia, T., Wingood, G. M., & DiClemente, R. J. (2011). Bias in online recruitment and retention of racial and ethnic minority men who have sex with men. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(2), e38. doi:10.2196/jmir.1797.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Teitcher, J. E. F., Bockting, W. O., Bauermeister, J. A., Hoefer, C. J., Miner, M. H., & Klitzman, R. L. (2015). Detecting, preventing, and responding to “fraudsters” in Internet research: ethics and tradeoffs. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 43(1), 116–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2014). Same sex couples. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/hhes/samesex/

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2015). State and County Quick Facts. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

  • Vial, A. C., Starks, T. J., & Parsons, J. T. (2014). Finding and recruiting the highest risk HIV-negative men who have sex with men. AIDS Education and Prevention, 26(1), 56–67.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Vial, A. C., Starks, T. J., & Parsons, J. T. (2015). Relative efficiency of field and online strategies in the recruitment of HIV-positive men who have sex with men. AIDS Education and Prevention, 27(2), 103–111.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Voytek, V., Jones, K., Curtis, B., Fiore, D., Dunbar, D., Frank, I., & Metzger, D. (2012). Using an Internet consumer marketing strategy to research me who have sex with men for participation in a preventive HIV vaccine clinical trial. Retrovirology, 9(S2), 119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagenaar, B. H., Grabbe, K. L., Stephenson, R., Khosropour, C. M., & Sullivan, P. S. (2013). Do men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States understand that HIV serodiscordance is possible? The Open AIDS Journal, 7, 14–16. doi:10.2174/1874613620130513001.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wagenaar, B. H., Sullivan, P. S., & Stephenson, R. (2012). HIV knowledge and associated factors among Internet-using men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Africa and the United States. PLoS ONE, 7(3), e32915. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032915.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wall, K. M., Stephenson, R., & Sullivan, P. S. (2013). Frequency of sexual activity with most recent male partner among young, Internet-using men who have sex with men in the United States. Journal of Homosexuality, 60(10), 1520–1538.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wayal, S., Llewellyn, C., Smith, H., Hankins, M., Phillips, A., Richardson, D., & Fisher, M. (2009). Self-sampling for oropharyngeal and rectal specimens to screen for sexually transmitted infections: acceptability among men who have sex with men. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 85(1), 60–64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whiteley, L. B., Brown, L. K., Swenson, R. R., Valois, R. F., Vanable, P. A., Carey, M. P., & Romer, D. (2012). African American adolescents meeting sex partners online: closing the digital research divide in STI/HIV prevention. Journal of Primary Prevention, 33(1), 13–18.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, M. L., Bowen, A. M., & Horvath, K. J. (2005). The social/sexual environment of gay men residing in a rural frontier state: implications for the development of HIV prevention programs. The Journal of Rural Health, 21(1), 48–55. doi:10.1111/j.1748-0361.2005.tb00061.x.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Z., Zhang, S., Dong, Z., Jin, M., & Han, J. (2014). Prevalence of unprotected anal intercourse in men who have sex with men recruited online versus offline: a meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 508.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ybarra, M., DuBois, L., Parsons, J. T., Prescott, T., & Mustanski, B. (2014). Online focus groups as an HIV prevention program for gay, bisexual, and queer adolescent males. AIDS Education and Prevention, 26(6), 554–564.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ybarra, M., Prescott, T., Phillips, G. L., Bull, S. S., Parsons, J. T., & Mustanski, B. (2015). Iteratively developing an mHealth HIV prevention program for sexual minority adolescent men. AIDS and Behavior. doi:10.1007/s10461-015-1146-3.

  • Young, S. (2014). Social media technologies for HIV prevention study retention among minority men who have sex with men (MSM). AIDS and Behavior, 18(9), 1625–1629. doi:10.1007/s10461-013-0604-z.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Young, S., Holloway, I., Jaganath, D., Rice, E., Westmoreland, D., & Coates, T. (2014). Project HOPE: online social network changes in an HIV prevention randomized controlled trial for African American and Latino men who have sex with men. American Journal of Public Health, 104(9), 1707. doi:10.2105/ajph.2014.301992.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The One Thousand Strong study was funded by NIH/NIDA (R01 DA 036466: Jeffrey T. Parsons & Christian Grov). We would like to acknowledge other members of the One Thousand Strong Study Team (Dr. Tyrel Starks, Michael Castro, Ruben Jimenez, Dr. Jonathan Lassiter, Brett Millar, Chloe Mirzayi, Raymond Moody, and Anita Viswanath) and other staff from the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (Qurrat-Ul Ain, Andrew Cortopassi, Chris Hietikko, Doug Keeler, Chris Murphy, Carlos Ponton, and Brian Salfas). We would also like to thank the staff at Community Marketing Inc. (David Paisley, Thomas Roth, and Heather Torch) and Dr. Patrick Sullivan, Jessica Ingersoll, Deborah Abdul-Ali, and Doris Igwe at the Emory Center for AIDS Research (P30 AI050409). Finally, special thanks to Dr. Jeffrey Schulden at NIDA and Dr. Elizabeth Kelvin at Hunter College. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies & Training (CHEST), New York, NY, USA

    Christian Grov, Demetria Cain, Thomas H. F. Whitfield, H. Jonathon Rendina, Mark Pawson, Ana Ventuneac & Jeffrey T. Parsons

  2. Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (CUNY), 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, USA

    Christian Grov

  3. CUNY School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA

    Christian Grov & Jeffrey T. Parsons

  4. Department of Psychology, Hunter College of CUNY, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons

  5. Health Psychology and Clinical Science Doctoral Program, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons

Authors
  1. Christian Grov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Demetria Cain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Thomas H. F. Whitfield
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. H. Jonathon Rendina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mark Pawson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ana Ventuneac
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jeffrey T. Parsons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christian Grov.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

Grov, Cain, Whitfield, Rendina, Pawson, Ventuneac, and Parsons all have no conflicts.

Funding

One Thousand Strong was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01 DA 036466: Parsons & Grov). H. Jonathon Rendina was supported by a National Institute on Drug Abuse Career Development Award (K01 DA039030).

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Grov, C., Cain, D., Whitfield, T.H.F. et al. Recruiting a US National Sample of HIV-Negative Gay and Bisexual Men to Complete at-Home Self-Administered HIV/STI Testing and Surveys: Challenges and Opportunities. Sex Res Soc Policy 13, 1–21 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-015-0212-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-015-0212-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation