Maggie MacAulay*, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada Track: Practice Presentation Topic: Mobile & Tablet Health Applications Presentation Type: Rapid-Fire Presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Building: Sheraton Maui Resort Room: C - Napili Date: 2014-11-13 04:15 PM – 05:15 PM Last modified: 2014-10-24

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Over the past 15 years, the ubiquity and popularity of Internet and location-based dating platforms such as Manhunt and Grindr have virtually transformed the practices of gay men and practitioners working in the areas of HIV/STD prevention and sexual health. As anonymous, accessible, and affordable tools, they present a corresponding set of opportunities and challenges: While they can enhance the ability for users to find partners outside of traditional venues, this can also make it more challenging for public health practitioners to reach them through conventional means. On the other hand, practitioners can take advantage of the anonymity, accessibility and affordability of new media technologies to “meet people where they are” and develop more interactive, tailored, and targeted modes of sexual health promotion.

With rising rates of infection and some evidence suggesting that men who seek sex online are at an elevated risk of HIV/STD acquisition, adapting practices to better support the prevention needs of publics online is crucial. What are some of the ways in which practitioners in the field have attempted to leverage online tools? What have been some of their successes? What are the some of the issues they face?

Based on semi-structured interviews with users, public health stakeholders and technologists in cities like San Francisco, CA and Vancouver, BC, this presentation explores some of the best practices and practical challenges within the field of HIV/STD prevention and the Internet. To date, practitioners have taken advantage of the speed, scale, and reach of digital platforms to develop online outreach programs, make it easier for users to locate and co-ordinate HIV/STD testing and services, and enhance the ability for publics to access accurate, reliable, and culturally-relevant sexual health information. Collaborations with website owners and tech industry partners have also made it possible for practitioners to enhance their knowledge about online sex-seeking environments and develop personalized tools to promote informed sexual health decision-making among users.

While all of these indicate that HIV/STD prevention has attempted to meet the needs of publics online, “doing” HIV/STD prevention online effectively requires more than simply having “good” digital tools. It also requires support and investment from a range of public and private stakeholders. Although practitioners report small successes, they also report capacity issues that can impede the progress of initiatives and their evaluation, privacy and security concerns that can compromise the uptake of networked services and tools, and a host of institutional/organizational challenges specific to the intersection of sexuality with technology. That sexual health remains an under-discussed and taboo issue is a key concern.

In order to be able to better support the prevention needs of publics in networked environments, it is important that we also address the social issues and concerns of those who work with them. As more online sexual health research and programming emerges for gay men and other communities, learning from the experiences of practitioners and understanding the challenges they face can help us begin to boost our own competencies and build capacities in this area.