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AbstractResearch has shown the heightened risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual risk behavior, and substance use in sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals. Further research is necessary to understand understudied sexual risk behaviors in a sample of casual substance users as the implications of substance use are not just experienced by individuals with substance use disorders. Many emerging adults (ages 18-29) experiment with substance use during the transition from adolescence to adulthood and the relationship with sexual risk behaviors are important to understand in this population. Data were collected online through Prolific from 75 participants between the ages of 18-29 who identified as being a SGM. Participants completed a survey in March 2020 indicating their substance use. In November 2021, participants indicated their risky sexual behaviors. A path analysis indicated that cannabis use at Time 1 was significantly associated with greater oral sex without a condom or dental dam, sex under the influence of alcohol and other substances at Time 2. Cocaine use at Time 1 was significantly associated with increased sex under the influence of alcohol and sex with a stranger. Results illustrate long-term implications of casual substance use in SGM populations and highlights understudied sexual risk behaviors.

ABSTRACTWe sought to understand young men who have sex with men (YMSM) perspectives and preferred features for a mobile health (mHealth) tool designed to facilitate human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. YMSM were recruited on a popular social/sexual networking app to participate in online focus groups. Discussions were designed to elicit what the men would want in a mHealth tool specific for sexual health and HPV. Demographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and focus group data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Forty-eight YMSM participated. Mean age was 23.4 years, and 70.0% reported their race as Black. Qualitative themes included general HPV knowledge and awareness, current patterns in technology use, desired app qualities, and desired app content. Youth described varying levels of HPV knowledge, utilized apps to engage socially, and for travel, banking, gaming, news and entertainment, and few used apps to facilitate personal health or engage with healthcare systems. Participants desired credible, relatable, secure, and easy to use interfaces that provided sexual health and HPV information in a positive context. They described ways to creatively engage and directly connect youth to health providers. We identified a culturally relevant youth driven approach to facilitate HPV vaccination and sexual health among YMSM.

Objectives: In the United States, all men who have sex with men (MSM) were banned from donating blood from 1985 through 2015. In 2016, the guideline was amended such that men who had sexual contact with other men within the previous 12 months could not donate blood. We aimed to identify blood donation practices and their relationship with HIV risk and testing among young adult MSM (YMSM) at risk for having HIV.Methods: In 2014, we recruited HIV-negative non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white YMSM aged 18-24 from across the United States through social media platforms to complete an online survey. Among these YMSM who previously donated blood, we conducted a secondary analysis examining the relationship between having donated blood within the past 12 months and sexual risk behavior from recent condomless anal intercourse (CAI), HIV testing, and self-perceived risk of having an undiagnosed HIV infection.Results: Of the 2261 YMSM surveyed, 1104 (48.8%) had ever previously donated blood and 305 (13.5%) had donated blood within the past 12 months. Of the 305 blood donors, 50 (16.4%) had ever had CAI before their most recent blood donation. Among YMSM who donated blood, past–12-month blood donation was more likely among YMSM who never had CAI (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-2.73) than among YMSM who had CAI and more likely among YMSM who believed it was not possible at all that they had an undiagnosed HIV infection (aOR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.14-2.16) than among YMSM who believed there was any possibility of having an undiagnosed HIV infection; it was not related to past–12-month HIV testing.Conclusions: YMSM donated blood frequently, suggesting that the deferral process in place did not prevent YMSM from donating blood. The current donor screening process should be reconsidered if it is to prevent YMSM from donating blood. Future research could identify screening questions that permit YMSM with a low risk of HIV infection to donate blood while maintaining the safety of the blood supply.

IntroductionDue to the disproportionate impact of HIV on men who have sex with men (MSM), public health messaging encourages routine STI and HIV screening among this population. While STI testing services are often situated within high prevalence areas, providing accurate population estimates of MSM, and their subsequent movements, remains limited. This study sought to explore the relationship between STI clinic locations and operating hours and real time locations of MSM using mobile applications. MethodsUsing global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, location data were collected over a 7 day period from MSM in a mid sized US city who used a mobile phone application for the purpose of engaging in social and sexual interactions with other men. Data points were collected hourly for all men online, including their GPS position and self reported profile demographics (i.e. race/ethnicity and age). Aggregated data points were plotted onto a map of the city along with the position of Health Department STI testing locations.ResultsData were collected from a total 5083 individual men. Young men accounted for nearly half of all participants, with 45.4% indicating they were between the ages of 18–24% and 54.6% being 25 years of age or older. Ethnicities included Latino (49.1%), white (30.4%), African American (6.4%), and Other (14.1%). During a 24 hour period 85.3% of all online activity occurred between 7pm and 7am, with 8pm being the hour of the day in which the most people were online (22.9%). The median distance between an individual and a STI clinic was 3.8 miles. Latino and African American men and those under the age of 25 were significantly more likely to be farther away from STI testing services than men who were White or older (p<0.05)ConclusionFindings highlight location differences among MSM based on age and race, and suggest the need to further explore how these differences influence MSM sexual health. Additional examination of the integration of real time GPS data into STI prevention programing is warranted.