Use of Craigslist to hook up: Age differences in sex requests, HIV disclosure, and negotiated safety among men seeking men

BACKGROUND: Men are increasingly using the internet to meet male sex partners. Despite the popularity of Craigslist among men seeking men (MSM), little is known about the nature of postings on this site. OBJECTIVE: To investigate age differences in sex requests, HIV status disclosure, and negotiated safety on Craigslist. METHODS: On Saturday, June 4, 2009, data from 1075 Craigslist MSM ads in five cities (Boise, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Reno, and Sacramento) were abstracted using a structured instrument; 91.5% of the postings included age (N=948). Chi-square analyses were used to determine differences in online postings between younger MSM (<=4 years) and older MSM (>24 years). RESULTS: Almost one quarter (21%) of ads were posted by younger MSM. There were no differences between younger and older MSM in requests for anal sex (33% vs. 36%), the immediacy of sex (26% vs. 25%), and inclusion of a sexually explicit photo (24% vs. 27%). However, younger men were less likely than older men to report their HIV status or the preferred status of a partner (4% vs. 8%, p=0.04), to report being disease/drug free or request that their partner be disease/drug free (10% vs. 18%, p=0.006), and to request safe sex (4% vs. 10%; p=0.04). CONCLUSION: There were few age differences in the nature of sex requests among MSM using Craigslist. However, younger MSM were less likely to disclose their HIV status and request safe sex in their postings. Age-specific online interventions for MSM are urgently needed.