Sex Risk among Young Men who have Sex with Men who use Grindr, a Smartphone Geosocial Networking Application

Abstract

Objectives: Smartphone geosocial networking applications, like Grindr, have become a new context through which young men who have sex with men (YMSM) can meet potential sex partners. Geosocial networking applications move beyond online social networking websites like Facebook by utilizing smartphones' geo-location functions to facilitate connections with other users based on their current physical location. This study presents data on HIV risk-taking behaviors of YMSM who use Grindr, comparing the sex behaviors with partners met via the application to behaviors with partners met via other means (e.g., a bar, through friends, online). Methods:Utilizing the geo-locating feature of Grindr, 195 YMSM, aged 18 to 24, were randomly recruited based on their location within West Hollywood and Long Beach, CA between August and October, 2011. Participants completed an online survey.Results: YMSM reported using Grindr for entertainment, socializing, partner seeking, and gay community connection. Seventy-five percent of users reported sexual encounters with partners met on Grindr. YMSM reported significantly higher rates of condom use with partners met on Grindr (59.8%) relative to those partners met elsewhere (41.9%). Only 14.7% reported unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with their last Grindr partner. YMSM who reported UAI with their last partners from Grindr reported significantly more recent male anal sex partners than YMSM who reported no UAI with their last Grindr-met partners. Conclusions:Grindr was used by YMSM for a variety of reasons, and not exclusively for the purpose of sex partner seeking. Overall YMSM who use Grindr practice safer sex with partners met via the application than with partners met elsewhere. YMSM engaging in UAI with partners on Grindr are an especially high-risk group and should be targeted by prevention efforts. Sexual risk behavior with geosocial networking-located partners could be addressed with mobile HIV prevention applications, or within Grindr and other similar applications.

Spatial Distribution of Partner-Seeking Men Who Have Sex With Men Using Geosocial Networking Apps: Epidemiologic Study (Preprint)

“…Research among MSM who use GSN apps to find sex partners have shown mixed results regarding the relationship between GSN app use and risky sexual practices. While some studies found no association between GSN app use for partner-seeking and sexual risk behavior [11,12], some research suggests that partner-seeking on GSN apps is associated with increased condomless anal intercourse [9,13,14], drug use (i.e. methamphetamine, Viagra, poppers, painkillers) [10,13,15], number of partners [10,13,16,17], and history of STI diagnosis [15,16,[18][19][20][21].…”

“…For example, prior research using GSN apps for data collection largely relies on a single app [12,14,23,26,41,42,51]. Our study used three apps and the variance in spatial distribution of use and number of users across apps highlights the importance of using multiple apps in future research.…”

“…Though many studies have surveyed MSM to examine the use of GSN apps to find sex partners [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][18][19][20][21][22], relatively few studies have used the GSN apps' geospatial capabilities to better understand geographical patterns of partner-seeking among MSM. Previous research in Atlanta, Georgia described a methodology for using the geolocation features of a GSN app as a novel approach to calculating the estimated spatial density of GSN app-using MSM.…”

Global travel and HIV/STI epidemics among MSM: what does the future hold?

“…24 One YMSM study in Los Angeles found that two-thirds of respondents who used Grindr reported using the smartphone application to meet a sex partner. 25 Based on these available data, sex partners met during travel may be more likely to have met online than in person. This is important, because MSM who seek sex partners through online platforms are more likely to report engaging in CAI and having multiple sexual partnerships, as well as being less likely to know the HIV status of these partners, compared with those who meet their partners offline.…”

Effectiveness of using Grindr to increase syphilis testing among men who have sex with men in Darwin, Australia

“…It has been used as a recruitment tool for surveys and intervention programs to efficiently and effectively target the MSM population in recent years. [3][4][5][6][7] However, to the best of our knowledge, this report was the first to document the experience and effectiveness of using Grindr as a mass communication tool to circulate disease control messages to the MSM community in a syphilis outbreak situation.…”