Sexual health-related language in online personal ads

How have personal ads changed in the last 30 years, and how has the HIV/AIDS crisis influenced these changes? In a collaboration with Oliver Haimson, we find that the percentage of ads using sexual health-related language has increased from 23% in 1988 to 53% today, and that use of sexual health-related language in a location correlates with HIV prevalence rates. Results highlight the potential for online personal ads to serve as a sensor for public health surveillance purposes, which may help to combat the spread of HIV and can inform the design of health and other systems.

team : //

Oliver Haimson, Jed Brubaker, Mark Handel, Gillian Hayes

publish : //

Haimson, O. L., Brubaker, J. R., & Hayes, G. R. DDF Seeks Same: Sexual Health-Related Language in Online Personal Ads For Men Who Have Sex With Men. Proc. CHI 2014. [pdf]