Abstract #354  -  Sexual risk behaviours among men using the Internet to meet other men for sexual purposes in France: Primary results from the Net Gay Barometer 2009 study.
Authors:   Presenting Author:   Prof Alain Leobon - Centre National de la Recherche Scientitique, UMR Espaces et Société - UQAM
Additional Authors:  Prof Alain Leobon,
Aim: The Net Gay Barometer 2009 is a biennial study on the social and sexual uses of the Internet among men who have sex with men in France. It is a component of a wider study of sexual risk behaviours in gay men who frequent sex-oriented venues. The objectives of this study is to describe some social and sexual uses of the Internet as well as study participants sexual risk-taking behaviours.
Method / Issue: Men were recruited between December 2008 and April 2009 through personalized e-mailings on nine major Websites representative of the socio-sexual diversity of the French MSM population.
Results / Comments: 24,343 MSM completed an online questionnaire. Unique Website identifiers reveal that 62.3% of the participants responded to the questionnaire from general interest gay dating websites (GI), 18.1% from BDSM Websites, 13.0% from a BEAR Website and 6.5% from a barebacking Website (BB). 19.4% of participants were aged 18 to 25 and the mean age was 36 years. 54.6% were in a committed relationship and 18.4% self-identified as bisexuals.11.8% of respondents self-reported an HIV-positive status, 69.3% an HIV-negative status and 18.9% were unaware of their HIV status. One third (30%) reported a history of at least one sexually transmitted infection (STI) with 8.2% reporting at least one STI in the past 12 months. 95.4% of the respondents occasionally or frequently visited Internet Websites to meet partners, 49.5% visited bar or clubs, 47.1% visited bathhouses, 42.9% visited non-commercial public spaces and 33.4% went to backrooms or sex-clubs. 85.0% of respondents had sexual relations with at least one casual partner in the past 12 months (33.0% of these reporting ten sexual partners or more). Of these, 94.8% had insertive or receptive anal intercourse at least once, 50.8% had group sex, 25.1% practiced water sports, 23.5% engaged in fist-fucking and 26.2% barebacked. Among those who engaged in anal sex, 49.3% reported at least one incident of unprotected anal intercourse, which was significantly associated with HIV status (62.4% of HIV+). 9.2% (35.2% of HIV+) of respondents reported they had frequent or systematic unprotected anal intercourse with casual partners in the past 12 months. One quarter of drug users reported seeking sexual contact that included use of poppers (39.0%), cannabis (21.5%), Viagra (8.7%), cocaine (8.6%), GHB/GBL (5.8%) or Ecstasy (5.5%). In this sample, men who used the Internet to meet sexual partners engaged in a variety of sexual risk behaviours. Multivariate analyses indicate that risks taking is associated with HIV status, the sexual culture of the website frequented to meet partners, level of education, number of sexual partners, barebacking with a regular partner, intensive use of the Internet, having been a victim of physical violence, visiting non-commercial public spaces and sex-clubs, being in an open relationship, giving or receiving sex for money, and using drugs such as poppers.
Discussion: This study demonstrate the feasibility of reaching large numbers of MSM through gay oriented websites. Opportunity should be taken to develop and adapt prevention messages and interventions to apparent or anticipated risk profiles (mapping intervention) derived from this study.
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