Substance Use and Abuse Among Men Using the Internet Specifically to Find Partners for Unprotected Sex

Abstract

This study was based on a national random sample of 332 MSM who use the Internet to seek men with whom they can engage in unprotected sex. Data collection was conducted via telephone interviews between January 2008 and May 2009. Illegal drug use was highly prevalent in this population, particularly when compared to men in the general population: 85.2% of the men in the study versus 59.5% of men in the adult population reported lifetime use of an illegal drug, and 60.1% of the men in the study versus 9.9% of men in the adult population reported use of an illegal drug during the preceding 30 days. Substance abuse problems and drug dependence were also highly prevalent, with a sizable proportion of the men having unmet treatment needs. Most study participants (56.4%) reported a preference for having sex while under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs, with the large majority of these persons (85.9%) expressing a preference for illegal drug use in that context. The author concludes that men who use the Internet to find partners for unprotected sex tend to have extensive drug use histories, and their experimentation with illegal drugs continues well into their 40s, 50s, and beyond. A sizable proportion of these men need substance abuse education, prevention services, intervention services, and/or drug treatment.

Depression and HIV Risk Taking Among Men Who Have Sex with Other Men and Who Use the Internet to Find Partners for Unprotected Sex

“…The present study’s finding is consistent with this body of literature and, once again, highlights the importance of working to diminish the prevalence of substance use/abuse among MSM. This issue has been addressed by the present author more comprehensively in another work, which interested readers are encouraged to consult (Klein, 2011a). …”

Perceptions of HIV Risk Among Internet-Using, HIV-Negative Barebacking Men

“…This recommendation is particularly salient in light of the fact that a sizable proportion of the HIV-negative men who took part in this study (41.2%) reported at least some sex while “under the influence” during the month prior to interview. Moreover, more than one-quarter of this study’s HIV-negative men (26.5%) could be classified as substance abusers based on the diagnostic criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , fourth edition (see, Klein, 2011b, for more information about this). Completing drug treatment has been shown to be effective at helping reduce HIV risk practices in a variety of population groups (Booth et al, 2011; Metzger, Woody, & O’Brien, 2010), including MSM (Jaffe, Shoptaw, Stein, Reback, & Rotheram-Fuller, 2007; Shoptaw et al, 2008).…”

“Party N Play” on the Internet: Subcultural Formation, Craigslist, and Escaping from Stigma

“…A Chicago study had similar findings; those MSM who used the Internet to find sexual partners tended to engage in risky sexual behaviors and were significantly more likely to use drugs in at least half of their on-line sexual encounters (McKirnan et al 2007). Finally, a national random sample of MSM in the United States confirmed that this was not unique to those cities; 85.2% of those who sought unprotected sex on the Internet (n 332) reported lifetime use of illicit drugs (Klein 2011).…”

“…Yet, Internet drug seeking has soared (e.g., Bumm 2011;Klein 2011). Over the past decade, the behavioral sciences have stressed the dangers of using illicit party drugs such as crystal methamphetamine, but seeking drugs on the Internet, particularly by gay men, has not subsided (e.g., Drug-addiction-help n.d.; Gee et al 2012;Solomon et al 2012:12).…”