Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Virtual Versus Physical Spaces: Which Facilitates Greater HIV Risk Taking Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in East and South-East Asia?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
AIDS and Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Increasing use of the Internet to seek sex partners is accompanied by rising HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) in East and South-East Asia. We examined whether the Internet facilitates greater HIV risk taking among MSM in the region. A cross-sectional sample of 9,367 MSM was recruited via the Internet in 2010. We compared socio-demographic and HIV-related behavioral characteristics among MSM who met sex partners on the Internet only, who met sex partners offline only, and who met sex partners through both. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify independent correlates that were associated with differences in where participants met their male sex partners. Compared to MSM who met partners offline only, those who met partners online only were less likely to have multiple male sex partners, have paid for sex, have consumed recreational drugs, and have used alcohol before sex. MSM who met partners both online and offline appeared to be the riskiest group that they were more likely to have multiple male sex partners, have engaged in UIAI, and have consumed alcohol before sex. These findings suggest that social networking websites alone do not facilitate greater HIV risk taking among MSM. Rather, they provide additional venues for MSM who already engage in HIV-related high risk behaviors to seek sex partners. The Internet offers incredible opportunities to reach large numbers of MSM in East and South-East Asia for HIV prevention and research. Web-based outreach and prevention activities are needed to reach these men. In addition, mobile and application-based interventions should also be developed and disseminated.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chiasson MA, Parsons JT, Tesoriero JM, Carballo-Dieguez A, Hirshfield S, Remien RH. HIV behavioral research online. J Urban Health. 2006;83(1):73–85.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Liau A, Millett G, Marks G. Meta-analytic examination of online sex-seeking and sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men. Sex Transm Dis. 2006;33(9):576–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Rendina HJ, Jimenez RH, Grov C, Ventuneac A, Parsons JT. Patterns of lifetime and recent HIV testing among men who have sex with men in New York city who use Grindr. AIDS Behav. 2013;. doi:10.1007/s10461-013-0573-2.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Ross MW, Rosser BR, McCurdy S, Feldman J. The advantages and limitations of seeking sex online: a comparison of reasons given for online and offline sexual liaisons by men who have sex with men. J Sex Res. 2007;44(1):59–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Guadamuz TE, Wei C, Friedman MS, Stall R. Queering development and the emergence of virtual communities in Asia: challenges and opportunities for HIV prevention interventions. Cult Health Sex. 2009;11(Suppl 1):30.

    Google Scholar 

  6. UNAIDS. HIV/AIDS: China’s titanic peril. Beijing, China: The UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in China; 2002.

  7. Guo Y, Li X, Stanton B. HIV-related behavioral studies of men who have sex with men in China: a systematic review and recommendations for future research. AIDS Behav. 2011;15(3):521–34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. McFarlane M, Bull SS, Rietmeijer CA. The Internet as a newly emerging risk environment for sexually transmitted diseases. JAMA. 2000;284(4):443–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Toomey KE, Rothenberg RB. Sex and cyberspace: virtual networks leading to high-risk sex. JAMA. 2000;284(4):485–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Bauermeister JA, Leslie-Santana M, Johns MM, Pingel E, Eisenberg A. Mr. Right and Mr. Right Now: romantic and casual partner-seeking online among young men who have sex with men. AIDS Behav. 2011;15(2):261–72.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bolding G, Davis M, Hart G, Sherr L, Elford J. Where young MSM meet their first sexual partner: the role of the Internet. AIDS Behav. 2007;11(4):522–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Berg RC. Barebacking among MSM Internet users. AIDS Behav. 2008;12(5):822–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ng RAC, Samuel MC, Lo T, et al. Sex, drugs (methamphetamines), and the Internet: Increasing syphilis among men who have sex with men in California, 2004–2008. Am J Public Health. 2013;103(8):1450–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Saxton P, Dickson N, Hughes A. Who’s omitted from repeated offline HIV behavioral surveillance among MSM? Implications for interpreting trends. AIDS Behav. 2013;. doi:10.1007/s10461-013-0485-1.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lau JT, Kim JH, Lau M, Tsui HY. Prevalence and risk behaviors of Chinese men who seek same-sex partners via the Internet in Hong Kong. AIDS Educ Prev. 2003;15(6):516–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Zou H, Wu Z, Yu J, et al. Sexual risk behaviors and HIV infection among men who have sex with men who use the Internet in Beijing and Urumqi China. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2010;53(Suppl 1):S81–7.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Zhang D, Bi P, Lv F, Tang H, Zhang J, Hiller F. Internet use and risk behaviors: an online survey of visitors to three gay websites in China. Sex Transm Infect. 2007;83(7):571–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Li Q, Liu Y, Zhou Z, et al. Online sex-seeking behaviors among men who have sex with men: implications for investigation and intervention. AIDS Behav. 2012;16(6):1690–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. van Griensven F, de Lind van Wijngaarden JW. A review of the epidemiology of HIV infection and prevention responses among MSM in Asia. AIDS. 2010;24(Suppl 3):30–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Lim SH, Guadamuz TE, Wei C, Chan R, Koe S. Factors associated with unprotected receptive anal intercourse with internal ejaculation among men who have sex with men in a large Internet sample from Asia. AIDS Behav. 2012;16(7):1979–87.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Zhong F, Lin P, Xu H, et al. Possible increase in HIV and syphilis prevalence among men who have sex with men in Guangzhou, China: results from a respondent-driven sampling survey. AIDS Behav. 2011;15(5):1058–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Csete J, Dube S. An inappropriate tool: criminal law and HIV in Asia. AIDS. 2010;24(Suppl 3):S80–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Feng Y, Wu Z, Detels R. Evolution of men who have sex with men community and experienced stigma among men who have sex with men in Chengdu, China. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2010;53(Suppl 1):S98–103.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

CW and TG were supported by grants from the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (CW: R00MH093201; TG: MH085567).

Conflict of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics & Global Health Sciences, University of California-San Francisco, 50 Beale Street, Suite 1300, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA

    Chongyi Wei

  2. Center of Excellence for Research in AIDS, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Sin How Lim

  3. Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Thomas E. Guadamuz

  4. Center for Health Policy Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, Nakorn Pathom, Thailand

    Thomas E. Guadamuz

  5. ICM Pharma Pte Ltd., Singapore, Singapore

    Stuart Koe

Authors
  1. Chongyi Wei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sin How Lim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Thomas E. Guadamuz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Stuart Koe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chongyi Wei.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wei, C., Lim, S.H., Guadamuz, T.E. et al. Virtual Versus Physical Spaces: Which Facilitates Greater HIV Risk Taking Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in East and South-East Asia?. AIDS Behav 18, 1428–1435 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0628-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0628-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation