Duncan Dustin T, Park Su Hyun, Hambrick H Rhodes, Dangerfield Ii Derek T, Goedel William C, Brewer Russell, Mgbako Ofole, Lindsey Joseph, Regan Seann D, Hickson DeMarc A
Spatial Epidemiology Lab, Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
The REACH Initiative, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, United States.
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2018 Jun 14;6(6):e10316. doi: 10.2196/10316.
Understanding where and how young black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) in the southern United States meet their sexual partners is germane to understanding the underlying factors contributing to the ongoing HIV transmission in this community. Men who have sex with men (MSM) commonly use geosocial networking apps to meet sexual partners. However, there is a lack of literature exploring geosocial networking app use in this particular population.
Our aim was to examine the characteristics, preferences, and behaviors of a geographically diverse sample of geosocial networking app-using YBMSM in the southern United States.
Data were collected from a sample of 75 YBMSM across three cities (Gulfport, Mississippi; Jackson, Mississippi; and New Orleans, Louisiana). Multiple aspects of geosocial networking app use were assessed, including overall app use, age of participant at first app use, specific apps used, reasons for app use, photos presented on apps, logon times and duration, number of messages sent and received, and characteristics of and behaviors with partners met on apps. Survey measures of app-met partner and sexual behavior characteristics assessed at midpoint (Day 7) and completion visits (Day 14) were compared using McNemar's test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. In addition, we assessed activity spaces derived from GPS devices that participants wore for 2 weeks.
Of the 70 participants who responded to the overall app-use item, almost three-quarters (53/70, 76%) had ever used geosocial networking apps. Jack'd was the most commonly used geosocial networking app (37/53, 70%), followed by Adam4Adam (22/53, 42%), and Grindr (19/53, 36%). The mean and median number of apps used were 4.3 (SD 2.7) and 4.0 (range 0-13), respectively. Most app-using participants displayed their face on the profile picture (35/52, 67%), whereas fewer displayed their bare legs (2/52, 4%) or bare buttocks (or ass; 2/52, 4%). The mean age at the initiation of app use was 20.1 years (SD 2.78) ranging from 13-26 years. Two-thirds (35/53, 66%) of the sample reported using the apps to "kill time" when bored. A minority (9/53, 17%) reported using the apps to meet people to have sex/hook up with. The vast majority of participants reported meeting black partners for sex. Over two-thirds (36/53, 68%) reported that the HIV status of their app-met partners was negative, and 26% (14/53) reported that they did not know their partner's HIV status. There was a significant difference in GPS activity spaces between app using YBMSM compared to nonapp using YBMSM (2719.54 km vs 1855.68 km, P=.011).
Use of geosocial networking apps to meet sexual partners among our sample of YBMSM in the southern United States was common, with a diverse range of app use behaviors being reported. Further research should characterize the association between geosocial networking app use and engagement in sexual behaviors that increase risk for HIV acquisition and transmission. In addition, geosocial networking apps present a promising platform for HIV prevention interventions targeting YBMSM who use these apps.
了解美国南部与男性发生性行为的年轻黑人（YBMSM）在何处以及如何结识他们的性伴侣，对于理解该社区持续存在的艾滋病毒传播的潜在因素至关重要。男男性行为者（MSM）通常使用地理社交网络应用程序来结识性伴侣。然而，缺乏关于该特定人群使用地理社交网络应用程序的文献。
我们的目的是研究美国南部使用地理社交网络应用程序的YBMSM的地理多样化样本的特征、偏好和行为。
从三个城市（密西西比州格尔夫波特；密西西比州杰克逊；路易斯安那州新奥尔良）的75名YBMSM样本中收集数据。评估了地理社交网络应用程序使用的多个方面，包括总体应用程序使用情况、首次使用应用程序时参与者的年龄、使用的特定应用程序、使用应用程序的原因、应用程序上展示的照片、登录时间和时长、发送和接收的消息数量以及在应用程序上结识的伴侣的特征和行为。使用McNemar检验或Wilcoxon符号秩检验比较在中点（第7天）和完成访视（第14天）评估的应用程序结识的伴侣和性行为特征的调查测量值。此外，我们评估了参与者佩戴2周的GPS设备得出的活动空间。
在回答总体应用程序使用项目的70名参与者中，近四分之三（53/70，76%）曾使用过地理社交网络应用程序。Jack'd是最常用的地理社交网络应用程序（37/53，70%），其次是Adam4Adam（22/53，42%）和Grindr（19/53，36%）。使用的应用程序的平均数和中位数分别为4.3（标准差2.7）和4.0（范围0 - 13）。大多数使用应用程序的参与者在个人资料图片上展示了自己的脸（35/52，67%），而较少有人展示裸露的腿部（2/52，4%）或裸露的臀部（或屁股；2/52，4%）。开始使用应用程序的平均年龄为20.1岁（标准差2.78），范围为13 - 26岁。三分之二（35/53，66%）的样本报告在无聊时使用应用程序“消磨时间”。少数人（9/53，17%）报告使用应用程序结识人以进行性行为/勾搭。绝大多数参与者报告结识黑人伴侣进行性行为。超过三分之二（36/53，68%）报告他们在应用程序上结识的伴侣的艾滋病毒状态为阴性，26%（14/53）报告他们不知道伴侣的艾滋病毒状态。与不使用应用程序的YBMSM相比，使用应用程序的YBMSM在GPS活动空间上存在显著差异（2719.54公里对1855.68公里，P = 0.011）。
在美国南部我们的YBMSM样本中，使用地理社交网络应用程序结识性伴侣很常见，报告了各种各样的应用程序使用行为。进一步的研究应描述地理社交网络应用程序的使用与增加艾滋病毒感染和传播风险的性行为参与之间的关联。此外，地理社交网络应用程序为针对使用这些应用程序的YBMSM的艾滋病毒预防干预提供了一个有前景的平台。
