Sexting Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: Results From a National Survey

PurposeWe know little about the prevalence of sexting behavior among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) or its association with their sexual behaviors.MethodsTo address these gaps, we used data from an online study examining the partner-seeking behaviors of single YMSM (N = 1,502; ages 18–24 years) in the United States. Most participants (87.5%) reported sexting, with 75.7% of the sample reporting having sent and received a sext.ResultsSexting was more frequent among sexually active YMSM, with YMSM who had sent and received a sext being more likely to report insertive anal intercourse, with and without condoms, than those who had not sexted. We found no association between sexting and receptive anal intercourse.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that sexting may vary by YMSM's sexual roles. We discuss our findings with attention to their implications for sexual health promotion.