HIV Testing Practices & the Potential Role of HIV Self-Testing among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Mexico

The objective of this study was to characterize HIV testing practices among men who have sex with men in Mexico and intention to use HIV self-testing. 

In 2012, members of one of the largest social/sexual networking websites for men who have sex with men in Latin America completed an anonymous online survey. This analysis was restricted to HIV-uninfected men who have sex with men residing in Mexico. Multivariable logistic regression models were fit to assess factors associated with HIV testing and intention to use a HIV self-test. 

Of 4537 respondents, 70.9% reported ever having a HIV test, of whom 75.5% reported testing at least yearly. The majority (94.3%) indicated that they would use a HIV home self-test if it were available. Participants identifying as bisexual less often reported ever HIV testing compared to those identifying as gay/homosexual (adjusted odds ratio = 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.44-0.62). Having a physical exam in the past year was associated with increased ever HIV testing (adjusted odds ratio = 4.35, 95% confidence interval: 3.73-5.07), but associated with decreased interest in HIV self-testing (adjusted odds ratio = 0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.48-0.89). 

The high intention to use HIV home self-testing supports the use of this method as an acceptable alternative to clinic- or hospital-based HIV testing.

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By:  Oldenburg CE1, Biello KB2, Perez-Brumer AG3, Rosenberger J4, Novak DS5, Mayer KH6, Mimiaga MJ7.

• 1Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA ceo242@mail.harvard.edu.
• 2The Fenway Institute, Fenway Community Health, Boston, MA, USA Departments of Behavioral & Social Health Sciences and Epidemiology and the Institute for Community Health Promotion, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.
• 3Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
• 4Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA.
• 5Online Buddies, Inc, OLB Research Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
• 6The Fenway Institute, Fenway Community Health, Boston, MA, USA Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
• 7Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA The Fenway Institute, Fenway Community Health, Boston, MA, USA Departments of Behavioral & Social Health Sciences and Epidemiology and the Institute for Community Health Promotion, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA. 
• Int J STD AIDS. 2016 Mar 27. pii: 0956462416641556.

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A Pilot Test of a Mobile App for Drug Court Participants

The U.S. criminal justice system refers more people to substance abuse treatment than any other system. Low treatment completion rates and high relapse rates among addicted offenders highlight the need for better substance use disorder treatment and recovery tools. 

Mobile health applications (apps) may fill that need by providing continuous support. In this pilot test, 30 participants in a Massachusetts drug court program used A-CHESS, a mobile app for recovery support and relapse prevention, over a four-month period. Over the course of the study period, participants opened A-CHESS on average of 62% of the days that they had the app. Social networking tools were the most utilized services. 

The study results suggest that drug court participants will make regular use of a recovery support app. This pilot study sought to find out if addicted offenders in a drug court program would use a mobile application to support and manage their recovery.

Below:  A-CHESS mobile app user interface

Below:  Percentage of days in which participants used A-CHESS

Below:  Average number of times participants who used each service used it over the total study period

Below:  Social network map of all participants including staff

Below:  Social network map of drug court participants

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By:  Johnson K1, Richards S2, Chih MY3, Moon TJ4, Curtis H5, Gustafson DH1.

• 1Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
• 2Communications Coordinator, Population Health Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
• 3Research Assistant, Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.; Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
• 4Honorary Fellow, Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
• 5Advocates, Inc., Ayer Concord Drug Court, Ayer, MA, USA. 
• Subst Abuse. 2016 Feb 14;10:1-7. doi: 10.4137/SART.S33390. eCollection 2016.

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Help, I Am Losing Control! Examining the Reporting of Sexual Harassment by Adolescents to Social Networking Sites

Sexual harassment is often encountered by adolescents on social networking sites (SNS). One option to cope with a situation of harassment on SNS is to alarm the provider by reporting the transgressive content. It is yet unclear what the determinants of reporting a sexual harassment situation on SNS are, as well as the subsequent actions to these reports from the part of the SNS provider. 

In this article, we seek to address these gaps, and in particular examine whether control-by-the-self over the situation and negative emotions play a role in the reporting of sexual harassment on SNS. Findings indicate that a low situational control-by-the-self, indirectly (namely through a higher experience of negative emotions such as anger and shame) increases the reporting of sexual harassment by the victim. Public visibility of the incident and the impossibility to remove the content reduce the situational control-by-the-self. 

Results further suggest that SNS providers often ignore reported situations of sexual harassment. The study concludes with suggestions for responses to reported harassment on SNS, which should be directed toward increasing behavioral control and thereby alleviating negative emotions.

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By:  Van Royen K1, Poels K1, Vandebosch H1.

• 1Department of Communication Studies, University of Antwerp , Antwerp, Belgium .
• Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2016 Jan;19(1):16-22. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2015.0168.

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Risks, Risk Factors, and Outcomes Associated with Phone and Internet Sexting among University Students in the U.S.

Sexting, defined as the exchange of sexually suggestive pictures or messages via mobile phone or social networking sites (SNS), has received media attention for its prevalence and associated negative outcomes; however, research has not yet fully established risk factors for and resulting outcomes from sexting behaviors. 

The current study was the first empirical test of a causal path model in males and females, in which impulsivity-related traits and expectancies influence sexual behaviors through phone and SNS sexting. We also examined prevalence and perceived likelihood of common negative outcomes associated with sexting. 

Multiple regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) statistics were conducted on two independent undergraduate samples (n = 611 and 255). The best fitting SEM model demonstrated a significant indirect effect of sensation seeking on phone sexting behaviors through sex-related sexting expectancies and a significant indirect effect of sensation seeking on sexual hookup behaviors through phone sexting behaviors (b = 0.06, p = .03), but only for females. Reverse mediations and mediation with SNS were not significant. 

Negative outcomes were rare: sexts being spread to others was the most common negative sexting experience (n = 21, 12 %). 

This study suggests the viability of personality and expectancies affecting sexual hookup behaviors through engagement in sexting behaviors. It also suggests that although direct negative outcomes associated with sexting are thought to be common, they were rare in the current sample.

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By:   Dir AL1, Cyders MA.

• 1Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (http://psych.iupui.edu/), 402 North Blackford St., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA, adir@iupui.edu.
• Arch Sex Behav. 2015 Aug;44(6):1675-84. doi: 10.1007/s10508-014-0370-7. Epub 2014 Oct 31. 

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How Many Grindr Users Are on Truvada

Via:   http://goo.gl/EDkb5I  By https://twitter.com/josephjaafari

Profiling Online Recreational/Prescription Drugs' Customers and Overview of Drug Vending Virtual Marketplaces

Internet and social networking sites play a significant role in the marketing and distribution of recreational/prescription drugs without restrictions. We aimed here at reviewing data relating to the profile of the online drug customer and at describing drug vending websites.

The PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases were searched here in order to elicit data on the socio-demographic characteristics of the recreational marketplaces/online pharmacies' customers and the determinants relating to online drug purchasing activities.

Typical online recreational drugs' customers seem to be Caucasian, men, in their 20s, highly educated, and using the web to impact as minimally as possible on their existing work/professional status. Conversely, people without any health insurance seemed to look at the web as a source of more affordable prescription medicines. Drug vending websites are typically presented here with a "no prescription required" approach, together with aggressive marketing strategies.

The online availability of recreational/prescriptions drugs remains a public health concern. A more precise understanding of online vending sites' customers may well facilitate the drafting and implementation of proper prevention campaigns aimed at counteracting the increasing levels of online drug acquisition and hence intake activities

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By: Orsolini L1,2, Francesconi G1, Papanti D1,3, Giorgetti A4, Schifano F5.

• 1United Hospitals, Academic Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
• 2School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Herts, England.
• 3Medical School of Trieste, Italy.
• 4School of Medicine and Surgery, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
• 5FRCPsych, Chair in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Herts, England.