Gay Men on Internet Practicing Risky Sex

Feb. 12, 2003 (Boston) -- Results of a new survey of gay males suggest that the Internet is the bath house of the 21st century and the same high-risk sexual behaviors common in bath houses two decades ago are now "arranged" with the click of a mouse.

Sabina Hirshfield, PhD, deputy director of Research and Evaluation at the Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, tells WebMD that 84% of the almost 3,000 men who responded to an online survey about sexual practices said they met partners by surfing the web. And 64% of those men seeking men online said they often had unprotected sex, a high-risk behavior that increases the risk for HIV infection.

This finding isn't surprising, says Gerald Friedland, MD, of Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. Friedland, who wasn't involved in Hirshfield's study, says that in his practice, "Patients who engage in high-risk behavior tell me that they are meeting partners in chat rooms."

Hirshfield, who presented her survey results Tuesday at the 10th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, says that men who engage in risky sexual behavior are also likely to "use recreational drugs and drink until drunk -- both behaviors that precede sex."

She says the men were recruited through chat room banners posted on Gay.com, a popular gay web site, during June and July 2002. The men were asked to complete a 60-item, online questionnaire. The men were asked about sex, drug use, and drinking patterns for the previous six months. Generally, the men were "young, white, and well-educated," Hirshfield says.

Sabina Hirshfield, PhD, deputy director of Research and Evaluation at the Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, tells WebMD that 84% of the almost 3,000 men who responded to an online survey about sexual practices said they met partners by surfing the web. And 64% of those men seeking men online said they often had unprotected sex, a high-risk behavior that increases the risk for HIV infection.

This finding isn't surprising, says Gerald Friedland, MD, of Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. Friedland, who wasn't involved in Hirshfield's study, says that in his practice, "Patients who engage in high-risk behavior tell me that they are meeting partners in chat rooms."

Hirshfield, who presented her survey results Tuesday at the 10th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, says that men who engage in risky sexual behavior are also likely to "use recreational drugs and drink until drunk -- both behaviors that precede sex."

She says the men were recruited through chat room banners posted on Gay.com, a popular gay web site, during June and July 2002. The men were asked to complete a 60-item, online questionnaire. The men were asked about sex, drug use, and drinking patterns for the previous six months. Generally, the men were "young, white, and well-educated," Hirshfield says.