Prevalence and risk behaviors of chinese men who seek same-sex partners via the internet in Hongkong / Joseph T.F. Lau ... [et al.]

J. Lau, J. Kim, M. Lau, H. Tsui

To examine the prevalence of Internet sex networking among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Hong Kong and risk behaviors associated with the behavior, a telephone survey of 15,230 Hong Kong Chinese men aged 18-60 was conducted. Of the 283 active MSM (having engaged in some MSM behaviors in the last 6 months) identified, 17.7% had networked for MSM partners via the Internet in the last 6 months. Younger age (odds ratio [OR] for age <25 vs. age >25 = 4.67,95% confidence interval [Cl] = 2.35-9.28) and being an anal-sex MSM (OR = 4.72,95% CI=2.36-9.44) were independent predictors of lnternet sex networking. Being an Internet sex networker was associated with some risk behaviors such as having contracted a sexually transmitted disease (adjusted OR = 4.79,95% Cl = 1.34-17.11), having had > 3 MSM partners (adjusted OR = 4.74,95% Cl = 2.20-10.23), and having engaged in anal sex (adjusted OR = 3.95,95% Cl = 1.89-8.23). HIV prevention programs for MSM should thereby include Internet-based interventions.