The use of geosocial networking applications (e.g., Grindr) among men who have sex with men (MSM) is common. Yet scant research has examined how antiretroviral medications (ARVs)-including informal use-diversion and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are presented inside of the applications. The present study examines this phenomenon. Data are drawn from a qualitative study (N = 39) of the scope and magnitude of the informal market of ARV use for HIV prevention among MSM. Twenty-five participants reported seeing references to ARVs inside the applications. Men described geosocial networking application users' presentations of ARVs as being related to: PrEP use among HIV-negative MSM, the sale and/or use of illicit drugs (e.g., methamphetamine), informal trade/sale for HIV-prevention, and PrEP use among HIV-positive men. Findings suggest continued desire for and acceptability of PrEP as HIV prevention tool and that geosocial networking apps are being used to facilitate the exchange and informal use of ARVs for HIV-prevention. Geosocial networking applications represent a promising and important platform to educate MSM about safe and effective use of PrEP and the risks related to diversion and informal ARV use.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-018-2281-4 | DOI Listing |
Open Forum Infect Dis
December 2024
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Background: Social app recruiting-based and peer-led testing strategies have been proven effective in increasing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing among men who have sex with men (MSM), though their combination remains underevaluated. We aimed to assess the efficiency of a combined strategy named "standardly trained peer volunteer-led, social app recruiting-based HIV testing strategy using rapid testing kits" (SPARK).
Methods: Between March 2020 and December 2021, 177 trained peer volunteers tested 7256 eligible MSM testers.
J Med Internet Res
November 2024
Department of traditional Chinese medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted social distancing policies and caused misinformation that hindered in-person HIV screening for high-risk groups. Social media platforms provide additional options for voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV, overcoming these limitations. However, there is a lack of data on HIV testing recruitment through social media platforms and its outcomes during the pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Sex Behav
November 2024
UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
This study examined the association between self-identification as a sex worker (SW) and perceived access to pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic HIV prevention methods among MSM in France, Russia, and Türkiye amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, 17,250 MSM recruited through a geosocial networking smartphone application completed the COVID-19 disparities survey, which was administered between October and November 2020. Approximately 38% of survey respondents were identified as living in France (n = 1269), Russia (n = 3882), and Türkiye (n = 3141) at the time of survey completion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSex Cult
April 2024
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada.
Leading theories of the recent history of sexuality have pointed to trends toward detraditionalization and precarity in intimate relations, but also to democratization and innovation. This study grounded in 79 qualitative interviews with men seeking men online considers their experiences in light of these theories. The rise of dating apps has generated sexual fields that have shaped the sexual subjectivities of the current era in multiple ways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStigma Health
August 2024
The George Washington University-Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC, USA.
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) related stigma is linked to inadequate PrEP uptake, yet there are no validated scales to test this association among Spanish-speaking LSMM. The current study examined if the Spanish-translated PrEP Stigma Scale (PSS) was psychometrically appropriate for implementing in Spanish language dominant Latino/e/x Sexual Minority Men (SMM). Recruitment was conducted using geosocial networking applications, social media sites, and e-mail blasts (N=3,049).
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