Who is Omitted from Repeated Offline HIV Behavioural Surveillance Among MSM? Implications for Interpreting Trends

Abstract

Repeated behavioural surveillance should sample all epidemiologically relevant subgroups to provide a complete picture of trends in HIV risk behaviours. Web-based recruitment has been mooted but little empirical data exist on country experiences. We describe who is omitted from three rounds of a conventional offline-only surveillance programme among men who have sex with men (MSM) 2006-2011, but recruited subsequently on Internet dating sites, and the implications of this for understanding trends. The latter were younger, less gay identified and less gay community attached. Importantly, they reported different partnering patterns, lower condom use with casual and fuckbuddy-type male partners, and lower rates of HIV testing, compared to MSM routinely captured in offline surveillance. The replacement of offline socio-sexual activity by the Internet among many MSM means that current venue-based surveillance systems may underestimate risk behaviours, overlook trends among unsampled online MSM, and misinterpret trends observed in sampled MSM due to "sample drift" of most-at-risk MSM.

Self-reported STIs and sexual health checks in a cross-sectional study of gay and bisexual men in New Zealand

“…We analysed data collected from the 2011 round of the Gay Auckland Periodic Sex Survey (GAPSS) and Gay Online Sex Survey (GOSS), an established behavioural surveillance system 8. GAPSS participants were recruited in Auckland, New Zealand, during 1 week in February 2011 from a gay community fair day and subsequently at all gay bars and sex-on-site venues.…”

Younger Gay and Bisexual Men's Condom Use With Main Regular Sexual Partner in New Zealand

“…Northern X Regional Ethics Committee granted ethical approval. Details of the GAPSS and GOSS methods are reported elsewhere (Saxton, Dickson, & Hughes, 2013); the GOSS sample included YMSM responding from all dating websites and those living outside of Auckland. Responses that indicated a survey had been completed in a previous year were removed from the dataset to avoid YMSM being represented more than once.…”

Echantillons de convenance par Internet et par la presse - Enquête Presse Gays et Lesbiennes 2011

“…Cependant, 20 pourcent des répondants par Internet, majoritairement ceux provenant de sites général-istes média, ne fréquentent jamais d'établissement gay avec ou sans sexe. Internet permet ainsi de caractériser des HSH qui n'auraient pas pu l'être par un recrutement effectué dans ce type d'établissement (Saxton et al, 2013) alors qu'il s'agit d'un mode de recrutement privilégié pour les enquêtes de séroprévalence dans la population HSH (Velter et al, 2010). De manière cohérente, les répondants par Internet fréquentent plus les sites de rencontre sur Internet et consultent plus les sites d'information gay que ceux recrutés par la presse, mais lisent moins la presse gay.…”