Disclosure of HIV Serostatus and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Use on Internet Hookup Sites Among Men Who have Sex with Men

Men who have sex with men (MSM) who use websites and smartphone applications to meet sexual partners (“hookup sites”) may be at increased HIV risk. Many sites provide profile options to disclose HIV status and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use. Little is known about the acceptability of disclosure options which may guide sexual decision-making. We evaluated 104 MSM presenting to a publicly-funded STD clinic. Most (86%) had met a partner online in the last 12 months; 55 and 27% reported using the HIV and PrEP disclosure options, respectively. White MSM were less likely to disclose HIV status than MSM of color (46% vs 74%, p < 0.05). Fifty-three percent of men were more likely to contact a potential partner who disclosed being HIV-negative, and 48% were more likely to do so if the person disclosed being on PrEP. Future HIV prevention approaches should promote disclosure options among MSM meeting partners online.