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Use of the Location-Based Social Networking Application GRINDR as a Recruitment Tool in Rectal Microbicide Development Research

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Abstract

Mobile phone social networking applications such as GRINDR are potential tools for recruitment of men who have sex with men (MSM) for HIV prevention research. Demographics and sexual risk behaviors of men recruited through GRINDR and through traditional media were compared. GRINDR participants were younger (mean age 31 vs. 42, p < 0.0001), more White identified (44 vs. 30 %, p < 0.01), and had more sex partners in the previous 14 days (1.88 vs. 1.10, p < 0.05) than other recruits. Email responses were less successful for enrollment than phone calls (5 vs. 50 %). This approach resulted in successful recruitment of younger and more educated, White identified MSM.

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Acknowledgments

UCLA Microbicide Development Program Project 3 funded by NIH Grant IPCP U19 AI060614.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California-Los Angeles, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, 41-295 Center for Health Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1772, USA

    Earl R. Burrell, Heather A. Pines, Edward Robbie, Leonardo Coleman, Ryan D. Murphy, Kristen L. Hess & Pamina M. Gorbach

  2. Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, 200 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 365-A, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    Peter Anton

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  1. Earl R. Burrell
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  2. Heather A. Pines
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  3. Edward Robbie
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  4. Leonardo Coleman
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  6. Kristen L. Hess
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Correspondence to Earl R. Burrell.

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Burrell, E.R., Pines, H.A., Robbie, E. et al. Use of the Location-Based Social Networking Application GRINDR as a Recruitment Tool in Rectal Microbicide Development Research. AIDS Behav 16, 1816–1820 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0277-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0277-z

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