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Soliciting sex on the Internet: what are the risks for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV?
Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2000;27(9):545-550.
Bull SS, McFarlane M.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Strategies to meet sex partners have been augmented by the Internet.
This medium is an environment of potential risk for acquiring or transmitting
sexually transmitted disease (STD). GOAL: To document how the Internet is
used to find sex partners and what risks such activity poses for STD infection.
STUDY DESIGN: Participant observations of 175 chat rooms targeting men who
have sex with men (MSM), heterosexuals, and couples seeking sex partners.
RESULTS: Findings indicate evidence of past meetings (9% of MSM-room observations,
15% of couple-room observations) and solicitation of sex (9% of heterosexual-room
observations, 17% of MSM-room observations, 36% of couple-room observations)
by members of these groups. Safer sex or risk-reduction behaviors were not
frequently mentioned, but were sometimes acknowledged through solicitation
of drug-free and disease-free partners. CONCLUSIONS: Because people can
use the Internet to solicit sex partners, it is a risk environment for sexually
transmitted diseases. The Internet offers fast and efficient encounters
resulting in sexual contact, which may translate into more efficient disease
transmission. However, the Internet also offers many possibilities for innovative
technologic approaches to promote STD and HIV prevention.