Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong.
PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e31072. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031072. Epub 2012 Feb 10.
Advances in communication technology may affect networking pattern, thereby influencing the dynamics of sex partnership. The aim of the study is to explore the impacts of partner sourcing through internet and related channels on exposure risk to sexually transmitted infections (STI) including HIV.
Using venue-based sampling, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted at saunas frequented by men having sex with men (MSM) in Hong Kong. Comparison was made between MSM sourcing partners through physical venues alone versus concomitant users of physical and virtual channels, the latter referring to internet and smart-phone applications, using bivariate logistic regression.
Over a 7-week study period, 299 MSM were recruited from 9 saunas. Three main types of sex partners were distinguished: steady (46.8%), regular (26.4%) and casual (96.0%) partners. Users of sauna (n = 78) were compared with concomitant users of saunas and virtual channels (n = 179) for partner sourcing. Sauna-visiting virtual channel users were younger and inclined to use selected physical venues for sourcing partners. Smart-phone users (n = 90) were not different from other internet-users in terms of age, education level and single/mixed self-identified body appearance. Classifying respondents into high risk and low risk MSM by their frequency of condom use, concomitant use of both sauna and virtual channels accounted for a higher proportion in the high risk category (71.6% vs. 58.2%, OR = 1.81, p<0.05). In virtual channel users, partner sourcing through smart-phone was not associated with a higher practice of unprotected sex.
MSM sauna customers commonly use virtual channels for sex partner sourcing. Unprotected sex is more prevalent in sauna customers who use virtual channel for sex partner sourcing. While the popularity of smart-phone is rising, its use is not associated with increased behavioural risk for HIV/STI transmission.
通讯技术的进步可能影响社交模式，从而影响性伴侣关系的动态。本研究旨在探讨通过互联网和相关渠道寻找性伴侣对性传播感染（STI）包括艾滋病毒暴露风险的影响。
采用基于场所的抽样方法，对香港男男性接触者（MSM）光顾的桑拿浴室进行了横断面问卷调查。通过二元逻辑回归，比较了仅通过实体场所寻找性伴侣的 MSM 与同时使用实体和虚拟渠道（指互联网和智能手机应用程序）的 MSM，后者指的是互联网和智能手机应用程序。
在为期 7 周的研究期间，从 9 个桑拿浴室招募了 299 名 MSM。区分了三种主要类型的性伴侣：稳定（46.8%）、规律（26.4%）和偶然（96.0%）伴侣。将桑拿浴室使用者（n=78）与同时使用桑拿浴室和虚拟渠道的使用者（n=179）进行比较，以比较其性伴侣的来源。使用桑拿浴室虚拟渠道的用户年龄较小，倾向于选择特定的实体场所寻找性伴侣。智能手机用户（n=90）在年龄、教育程度和单一/混合自我认同的身体外貌方面与其他互联网用户没有差异。根据他们使用避孕套的频率将受访者分为高风险和低风险 MSM，同时使用桑拿浴室和虚拟渠道的人在高风险类别中所占比例更高（71.6%比 58.2%，OR=1.81，p<0.05）。在虚拟渠道用户中，通过智能手机寻找性伴侣与无保护性行为的比例没有关联。
MSM 桑拿浴室顾客通常使用虚拟渠道寻找性伴侣。通过虚拟渠道寻找性伴侣的桑拿浴室顾客更有可能发生无保护性行为。虽然智能手机的普及程度在不断提高，但它的使用与 HIV/STI 传播的行为风险增加无关。
