Trends in Online and In-Person Sex-Seeking Venues Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Berlin, Germany

BACKGROUND: Understanding sex-seeking venues used by men who have sex with men (MSM) may facilitate better study recruitment. We examined online and in-person sex-seeking venues among Berlin MSM. METHODS: We enrolled participants with and without HIV receiving care in Berlin, Germany, between 2018 and 2023. Participants completed a sociobehavioral questionnaire every 6 months for up to 24 months. Kruskal-Wallis tests and Joinpoint regression models were fitted to examine trends in use of sex-seeking venues. Robust Poisson regression models with generalized estimating equations were fitted to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between characteristics and online sex seeking. RESULTS: Of 285 visits among 126 MSM, sex seeking through online venues was reported at 225 (78.9%) visits and through in-person venues at 185 (64.9%) visits. Grindr (66.0%) and Gayromeo (58.9%) were the most common online venues; clubs (42.9%) and parties (33.7%) were the most common in-person venues. Online sex seeking was associated with sex under the influence of drugs (adjusted prevalence ratios, 95% CI: 1.26, 1.13 to 1.41), increasing number of sex partners (6-24: 1.59 [1.36 to 1.86]; ≥25: 1.63 [1.38 to 1.93]; compared with 1-5 partners), inconsistent condom use during receptive anal sex (2.15 [1.26 to 3.65]), and being in a noncommitted (4.94 [2.37 to 10.29]) or nonmonogamous (4.62 [2.29 to 9.33]) relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that venues that had been popular a few years ago may not be effective channels for study recruitment. Commonly used sex-seeking apps may be useful venues for studies to recruit participants to test HIV prevention, diagnosis, and treatment interventions.