Men Who Specifically Seek Unprotected Sex Partners Via the Internet: Whose Profiles Are the Most Searched for by Other Site Users?

Purpose: Recent research has revealed that men who have sex with men (MSM) who wish to engage in unprotected sex increasingly are turning to internet websites to identify potential partners. This paper focuses on HIV risk practices among MSM who use the internet to locate sex partners, and examines differences in advertised-for risk levels among men whose profiles are the most searched-for versus those whose profiles are not.

Methods: A content analysis was conducted between September 2006 and January 2007 using a popular internet website targeting MSM who wish to locate unprotected sex partners. 1,299 profiles were coded, selected randomly by ZIP code. Each day, the site automatically publishes a list of its “most active” (i.e., searched-for) profiles.

Results: Most men sought partners who would accept their semen orally (88%) or anally (80%). Most said that they themselves would accept semen orally (77%) or anally (69%). 76% sought partners with whom they could engage in group sex. The “most active” profiles were typically those posted by men seeking greater rates of risky practices, such as seeking multiple partner sex, unwillingness to use condoms, uninhibited sex, or eroticizing ejaculatory fluids.

Conclusions: MSM who use the internet to locate sex partners seek high rates of unsafe sexual practices. The more risk behaviors a person's profile mentioned as desirable, the more likely it was to draw other users' interest. These findings indicate a need for HIV interventionists to develop effective strategies to reach MSM who use the internet to seek unprotected sex partners.