ABSTRACT
COVID-19 has had a profound effect on every aspect of contemporary life, including sexuality. Physical distancing measures and limitations on large gatherings explicitly restrict in-person group sex events. We sought to understand how the pandemic and associated public health control measures have affected group sex practitioners and activities. We used a community-based participatory research approach. In fall 2019, we recruited a Community Advisory Board (CAB) of group sex key informants via community agencies, social media, and relevant websites (e.g., FetLife, Squirt). To be eligible, participants had to be at least 18 years old and have recently participated in a local group sex event (i.e. sex, broadly defined, with more than 3 people). Ethics approval was secured for the CAB as a longitudinal focus group study. Focus group meetings were audio recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. In December 2019, participants were asked about definitions of group sex. In May 2020, participants were asked about COVID-19 impacts. Key informants shared that due to COVID-19 restrictions, group sex events were cancelled and participants only had sex with others they were isolating with. Participants emphasized the challenges of isolation, the need to be patient, but also the opportunities associated with isolation. Participants reported attending online group sex events (e.g. Zoom orgies) as well as skill-building classes (e.g. rope bondage). Participants anticipated in-person events in the future, but felt that moving online opened up new opportunities for community-building. In conclusion, participants adhered to physical distancing protocols and quickly adapted to social isolation through innovative use of technology.
ABSTRACT
BackgroundGetCheckedOnline is an internet-based testing program for HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The program launched in 2014 in Vancouver, BC’s largest urban centre, and expanded to six smaller urban and suburban BC communities in 2016. We sought to measure GetCheckedOnline awareness among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM), and to identify characteristics that may contribute to program awareness.MethodsSex Now was a cross-sectional online health survey of Canadian gbMSM aged ≥15 years recruited from 10/2019–02/2020. BC residents were asked if they knew about GetCheckedOnline and additional questions related to implementation outcomes. We built a multivariable logistic regression model including all variables significant in univariate analysis to quantify associations with awareness, and report adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (AOR [95%CI]).ResultsAmong participants living in regions where GetCheckedOnline is available (n=1132, median age: 36 years), 38.1% were aware of GetCheckedOnline. Greater GetCheckedOnline awareness was associated with living outside of Vancouver (AOR=2.15 [1.50–3.10]), identifying as queer (AOR=1.58 [1.13–2.21]), having post-graduate education (AOR=1.84 [1.17–2.91]), being out to healthcare providers (AOR=1.97 [1.22–3.24]), using ≥3 geolocation-based sex-seeking apps (AOR=2.15 [1.40–3.33]), and past-year involvement in LGBTQ2S+-specific activities (AOR=1.56 [1.10–2.23]). Awareness decreased with increasing years of age (AOR=0.98 [0.97–1.00]). Compared with participants who usually tested for STIs at a sexual health clinic, awareness was lower among participants who usually tested for STIs through their family doctor (AOR=0.50 [0.33–0.73]) or at walk-in medical clinics (AOR=0.54 [0.30–0.96]), and among those who had never tested for STIs previously (AOR=0.17 [0.06–0.39]).ConclusionAlmost 40% of gbMSM in our sample were aware of GetCheckedOnline. Increasing promotion to gbMSM who are not out to their healthcare provider, who have never tested previously for STIs, or who are less connected to LGBTQ2S+ communities may improve program reach.