Utilization of dating apps by men who have sex with men for persuading other men toward substance use

Smith Boonchutima, Watsayut Kongchan Department of Public Relations, Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand Background: Dating apps play a major role in connecting men who are interested in meeting other men for sex. Besides finding a partner, these tools are also exploited for other activities such as encouraging people to get involved in the habit of illicit drug consumption (substance use). Methods: This study evaluated the overall usage of dating apps among Thai men who have sex with men (MSMs), with an emphasis on abusing these apps to convey messages encouraging substance use. A well-structured Survey Monkey questionnaire posted on specialized websites and social sites used by MSMs was used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using regression and correlation analysis in order to establish the relationship between variables. Results: A substantial proportion (73%) of the Thai MSM community is using dating apps to find their partners as well as for inviting others into illicit drug practice. Unfortunately, persuasion through dating significantly influenced people toward accepting a substance use invitation, with a 77% invitation success rate. Substance use was also linked with unprotected sex, potentially enhancing the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Conclusion: Dating apps significantly increased motivational substance use through messaging from their counterparts. One of the major concerns revealed in this study is that Thai MSMs who reported being involved in substance use also reported avoiding use of condoms during intercourse. Keywords: homosexual, mobile apps, social media, substance, Thailan

Risk perception and level of knowledge of diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti

ABSTRACT Diseases caused by viruses such as dengue, chikungunya and zika are mosquito-borne diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti. We performed a cross-sectional study of healthcare personnel and the general population using questionnaires to identify the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices, and risk perception for dengue, chikungunya and zika. A total of 248 questionnaires were applied, 63.3% to healthcare personnel and 36.7% to the general population. Of the healthcare personnel, 53% were men, and in the general population 74% were women. Nahuatl and Spanish were spoken by both, healthcare personnel (28%) and the general population (23%). The level of knowledge, attitudes and practices and risk perception of the population and personnel showed significant differences (p<0.05). Among healthcare personnel, nurses and vector operating staff had the lowest level of knowledge. On the other hand, the questions with the lowest scores were 1) symptoms of Zika in both groups, 2) circulating dengue serotypes in healthcare personnel and 3) symptoms of chikungunya in the general population. The results of this work allow us to identify information gaps in which knowledge, attitudes and practices, and risk perception need to be increased