Gay and bisexual men who connect with others primarily online are more likely to be single, closeted, and have higher HIV stigma compared to men who connect mainly in-person, according to a study released last week.
The Momentum Health Study, a longitudinal survey of 744 gay and bisexual men in Vancouver, Canada, asked men about their participation in online and offline venues like gay bars, dating apps, community groups, etc. From this data, researchers found that there are patterns in ways folks connect with others in the community.
The results from the study show that men can be classified into three categories based on their patterns of connectedness. About 26% of men primarily connected to others through in-person interactions (“Traditionalists”), 35% of men primarily connected to others online (“Techies”), and 39% of men were highly connected to others both online and in-person (“Socialites”).
Between these three groups of men, there were significant differences in sexual behavior and HIV/STI prevention. Compared to Traditionalists, Techies were almost 20% more likely to have been tested for HIV in the past two years and 18% more likely to ask sexual partners about their HIV status. On average, Techies reported twice as many sexual partners in the past 6 months.
Although Techies were more likely to take care of themselves through regular HIV testing and communication about STIs, they also scored 14% higher than Traditionalists on the HIV stigma scale. This scale was based on men’s agreement with statements such as “HIV-negative men treat a guy differently when they know he is HIV- positive.” This finding shows that it’s possible to practice healthful prevention strategies (e.g. HIV testing) while simultaneously holding attitudes that stigmatize HIV-positive individuals.