Online social media and applications use engaing in sexual risk behaviors among HIV infected men who have sex with men in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the pattern of social media use and risky sexual behavior of men who have sex with men in Bangkok, Thailand by using a mixed method.This is a cross-sectional study based upon quantitative and qualitative data collection. The target population is Bangkok MSM aged over 15 who visit a research institute for consultancy. The data collection took 6 months from June to November 2018, and the subjects participating in this study total at 201. All subjects respond to a set of close-end and open-end questions. The data is analyzed with SPSS V.22 with single and bivariate variables at the confidence level of 95%. The infection status and the pattern of social media use are revealed in this study. Considering the infection status first, 71 subjects (35.3%) are HIV-positive and 130 subjects (64.7%) are HIV-negative.The results from this study yield that among the total of 201 participants, there are eighty percent of the HIV-positive are online users while approximately sixty percent of the HIV-negative are the online users. The statistical analysis shows that age is one of the factors that can influence the possibility of having sex partners from using online social media. The mean age of the HIV-positive are older than the HIV-negative : HIV-positive Mean age 34.78±11.78 Vs. HIV-negative Mean age 25.56 ±6.38. Moreover, HIV-status has an influence on the possibility of having sex partners which can be seen from the number of sex partners they having had from online platform in a comparison between HIV-positive and HIV-negative. There are higher number of HIV-negative who reported having had sex partner from online platform than the HIV-positive. In addition, the HIV-negative tend to practice riskier behaviors if considering in the aspect of type of sex partners they have. Some of the HIV-negative reported having sex workers as their partners from their experience of using online while none of HIV-positive reported having this type of sex partners.As far as risky sexual behavior is concerned, the study found a risk related to HIV transmission and infection in both groups. Approximately seventy percent of the infected reported their consistent use of condom when engaging in a sexual intercourse. With a similar number of the non-infected, approximately seventy percent reported the use of condom when engaging in a sexual intercourse with partners whom they have met online. With the minority of this group reporting seldom use of condom. Regarding alcohol consumption for sexual stimulation, the study found only 5 % of the infected drink alcohol sometimes before having sex. This is in the contrary for the non-infected group where 52.1 % of the members used alcohol as sexual stimulant. Only a few subjects reported their independence of alcohol consumption for sexual stimulation. As for the use of drug to stimulate sexual desire with partners found online, the study shows the difference of the infected and the non-infected group which using drug to stimulate sex was found to be among the non-infected. To summarize how online applications were utilized among MSM, of those who are online users have their own ways to approach strangers and end up with making a decision to meet in a person. However, the results from this study showed the variety of the patterns of using online social media in order to find sex partners. The findings also suggested with whatever reasons that motivate them choosing any application regardless of HIV-status they absolutely have possibility to get sleeping partners from the online venue. Other suggestions from the results of the study in terms of how online social media use. Of those who are online users regardless of their HIV-status, to create their profile whether they disclose their information or not they still having a possibility of having sleeping partners(p-value 0.00), whereas whatever conversation that they have would related to sex content or not, they have possibility of having chance of getting sleeping partners(p-value 0.00). In the similar context, regardless of they revealed their identity or not (p-value 0.00) , still have chance of getting sleeping partners which means they have possibilities of engage in having risky sexual behaviors later.