African American adolescents meeting sex partners online: closing the digital research divide in STI/HIV prevention

Minority adolescents are affected disproportionately by HIV and STIs, and the Internet is a popular venue to meet sex partners. Little is known about the risks of this behavior for minority adolescents. The majority of studies that have examined sexual risk behavior online or STI/HIV prevention programs online have been among adult MSM. In this study, data from 1,045 African American youth found that 6% met sex partners online and in chat rooms. Odds ratios, adjusting for gender, found this behavior was associated with alcohol (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI 1.1, 4.7]) and drug use (AOR = 3.45, 95% CI 1.9, 6.1]), unprotected vaginal (AOR = 4.71, 95% CI 1.9, 8.4]) and anal sex (AOR = 4.77, 95% CI 1.3,17.1]) in the last 90 days, more lifetime vaginal (AOR = 3.65, 95% CI 2.0, 6.8]) and anal sex (AOR = 2.74, 95% CI 1.5, 4.8]), greater sexual sensation seeking (AOR = 2.92, 95% CI 1.5, 5.7]) and greater depression (AOR = 2.06, 95% CI 1.2, 3.6]. A final multiple logistic regression analyses found that male gender (AOR = 3.13, 95% CI 1.7, 5.8]), drug use at last sex (AOR = 2.41, 95% CI 1.3, 4.5]), lifetime history of vaginal (AOR = 2.90, 95% CI 1.5, 5.5]) and anal sex (AOR = 2.09, 95% CI 1.2, 3.6]), and cocaine use (AOR = 8.53, 95% CI 2.7, 27.3]) were independently associated with having sex with a partner met online. Meeting sex partners online is associated with a variety of risks among African American youth; however, the Internet may be an opportunity for intervention.