Substance use and abuse among men using the Internet specifically to find partners for unprotected sex

This study was based on a national random sample of 332 MSM who use the Internet to seek men with whom they can engage in unprotected sex. Data collection was conducted via telephone interviews between January 2008 and May 2009. Illegal drug use was highly prevalent in this population, particularly when compared to men in the general population: 85.2% of the men in the study versus 59.5% of men in the adult population reported lifetime use of an illegal drug, and 60.1% of the men in the study versus 9.9% of men in the adult population reported use of an illegal drug during the preceding 30 days. Substance abuse problems and drug dependence were also highly prevalent, with a sizable proportion of the men having unmet treatment needs. Most study participants (56.4%) reported a preference for having sex while under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs, with the large majority of these persons (85.9%) expressing a preference for illegal drug use in that context. The author concludes that men who use the Internet to find partners for unprotected sex tend to have extensive drug use histories, and their experimentation with illegal drugs continues well into their 40s, 50s, and beyond. A sizable proportion of these men need substance abuse education, prevention services, intervention services, and/or drug treatment.