“This Isn’t the Place for That”: Racial Differences in the Virtual and Physical Spaces Where Young Men Who Have Sex with Men Meet Sex Partners

Aug 21, 2026

Racial disparities in HIV are linked to where young men who have sex with men (YMSM) meet sex partners across online and offline environments. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study visualizes network data from 413 YMSM (age 16–29) using interviews with 33 participants to capture experiences and interpretations. Results show White YMSM meeting partners in narrower, dominant spaces and established networks, while Black and Latino YMSM bridge broader online and in-person venues, shaped by context, identity, risk, safety, and intersectional stigma.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Policy Implications

Sexuality Research and Social Policy [https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-025-01](https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-025-01)170-z “This Isn’t the Place for That”: Racial Differences in the Virtual and Physical Spaces Where Young Men Who Have Sex with Men Meet Sex Partners Elizabeth McConnell1 · Angela Li1 · Michelle Birkett2 Accepted: 28 July 2025 © The Author(s) 2025 Abstract Introduction The spaces where young men who have sex with men (YMSM) meet sex partners likely play a key role in racial disparities in HIV. Research is needed about racial differences in the online and offline spaces YMSM meet partners and their experiences in these spaces to inform HIV-related public policy. Methods In this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study, we visualized network data from a sample of 413 YMSM (age 16–29) to illustrate racial differences in how participants met their sex partners, which we used in interviews with 33 participants to elicit their responses and interpretations. Data were collected in 2017. Results White YMSM met sex partners in a narrower range of spaces (e.g., using dominant apps that were more popular among White YMSM, through existing networks), whereas Black and Latino YMSM bridged a greater range of spaces (e.g., utilizing multiple apps with diverse user bases, approaching strangers in public spaces) . Participants described complex, context-and identity-dependent experiences of risk, safety, and intersectional stigma. Conclusions The spatial structures of partner-seeking among YMSM are racialized: while White YMSM tend to meet partners within insulated, dominant spaces and known networks, Black and Latino YMSM bridge a diverse range of online and in-person venues. These dynamics may help explain racial disparities in HIV transmission networks. Policy Implications Findings underscore the importance of addressing deeper structural and systemic factors that contribute to population dynamics underlying racial disparities in HIV. Keywords Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) · Race · Sexual partners · Mobile app · Venues · HIV · Stigma Introduction Black young men who have sex with men (YMSM; age 13–29) bear a disproportionate HIV burden, followed by multiracial and Hispanic/Latino YMSM (Mustanski et al. , 2019). Paradoxically, Black YMSM engage in comparable or lower rates of risk behaviors at the individual level, necessitating focus on network-level factors that contribute to these * Elizabeth McConnell [emcconnell@paloaltou.edu](emcconnell@paloaltou.edu) Angela Li [jli3@paloaltou.edu](jli3@paloaltou.edu) Michelle Birkett [birkett@northwestern.edu](birkett@northwestern.edu) 1 Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States 2 Northwestern University, Evanston, United States disparities (Beltran et al., 2022 ; Bonett et al., 2020 ; Mustanski et al. , 2015, 2020 ; Patel et al. , 2018) . From a network perspective, the opportunity structure within which YMSM of different races meet sex partners—including potential racial differences in their spatial affiliations—likely plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining racial disparities in HIV. However, research tends to focus on more proximal HIV risk and protective factors rather than examining the broader social ecology within which YMSM form sexual partnerships. YMSM increasingly use geosocial networking applications (apps) in addition to offline methods to meet sex partners: 52.5–76.8% of YMSM use apps, with the average user in the young adult age range (Anzani et al., 2018 ; Blanc, 2024 ; Macapagal et al. , 2018) . A study of YMSMin Australia found that the most common methods were apps (75%), through friends (60%), gay bars (41%), and the internet (35%) (Chow et al. , 2016) . Rather than replacing offline venues such as bars, clubs, and gyms (Blanc, 2024), apps appear to complement them (Grov et al., 2014 ; Lemke, 2020), highlighting the need for an integrated examination of how apps fit into the overall places where YMSM

FAQs

What question does the study address about YMSM and HIV disparities?

The study examines how racial differences in the virtual and physical spaces where YMSM meet sex partners may contribute to racial disparities in HIV transmission networks.

How did the researchers study racial differences in partner-seeking spaces?

They used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design: network data from 413 YMSM were visualized, and findings were further explored through interviews with 33 participants.

What did the study find about where White vs. Black and Latino YMSM meet sex partners?

White YMSM tended to meet partners in a narrower range of spaces using dominant apps and existing networks, while Black and Latino YMSM bridged a wider range of online and in-person venues, including using multiple apps and approaching strangers in public spaces.

Aug 21, 2026

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