HIV in the Internet Age

Social networking sites may facilitate the spread of sexually transmitted disease, but these sites also serve as effective education and prevention tools.

Written byJef Akst

| 4 min read

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CHAT ROULETTE?: Some studies have found that the appearance of sites such as Craigslist in a given region correlate with increasing HIV incidence.© ISTOCK.COM/ANDREAS HERPENSHooking up has never been easier. For those who want to avoid the crowded, boozy bar scene, finding a sexual partner is just a click away online. One popular site for such cyber-assisted trysts is Craigslist, which has an entire section dedicated to “casual encounters,” categorized by who’s looking for whom. Also, a number of new smartphone apps have hit the market recently, bringing no-strings-attached sex to the palm of one’s hand.

With sex so much easier to come by, many researchers and activists have raised concerns about technology increasing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. Social-networking technologies seem especially popular among gay and bisexual men, particularly African Americans and Latinos, some of the most at-risk populations for HIV/AIDS in the United States. Some epidemiological studies have found correlations between the use of such technologies and rates of HIV infection. One study that made headlines earlier this year, for example, found that the appearance of Craigslist in a given region was associated with a 15.9 percent increase in HIV incidence, and that more than 6,000 new cases of HIV infection could likely be attributed to the site each year (MIS Quarterly, December 2014).

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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