12.3 APPENDIX C—ELICITING WEBSITE AND MOBILE APP INFORMATION
Please note, some of the examples in the Appendices may be outdated and may have changed. Those changes may not be reflected in this document.
To begin—Start by explaining why the health department needs to ask questions about one’s sex partners and sex behaviors. Emphasize confidentiality and explain why it might be best to let the health department do the partner notification. Talk about the period of time that is relevant; showing a calendar of the period of time in question may be helpful.
TIPS
- Assume all patients use the internet/mobile apps.
- Make no assumptions about the sexual behavior or the internet use of married/heterosexual clients.
- Capture all internet behaviors on the interview record.
- It may be helpful to prompt the client by naming a few popular sex-seeking websites and mobile apps. It may help jog their memory and will let the client know that you are familiar and comfortable with such sites.
- Ask IPN and mobile app questions in all interviews, even if the patient never specifically mentions using online venues or apps.
- When was the last time you used mobile apps to meet a sex partner?
- Which apps do you use?
When a patient has deleted or stopped using an app:
- Talk to me a little about what made you stop using ____.
When a patient says they only use an app to talk, not hook up:
- When was the last time you did hook up with someone on that app?
When a person says they don’t use any apps:
- Have you ever used apps in the past?
Sample Questions:
Prompt 1:
Many patients/clients/men use the following websites or apps. Please tell me your profile name for the following sites: Note—Because profile names can have slight but significant differences in spelling, have the patient spell out the profile name for you.
Facebook: _____________________
Twitter: _______________________
Manhunt: _____________________
Adam4Adam: ___________________
Grindr: _________________________
Scruff: __________________________
BlackGayChat: _______________________
BarebackRT: _________________________
Prompt 2:
What other websites or mobile apps are you a member of?
Name of website/app:
Profile name:
Name of website/app:
Profile name:
Name of website/app:
Profile name:
Name of website/app:
Profile name:
Prompt 3: Partner online information
When was the last time you had sex with someone you met online?
What website did you meet him/her on?
Where did you guys hook up after that? (What was the address?)
When was the last time you used the internet to meet a sex partner?
What sites did you use?
When was the last time you used that site?
When was the last time you used a mobile app to meet a sex partner?
Which apps did you use?
When was the last time you used that app?
Do you use certain sites/apps for finding certain types of partners?
What time of day do you log on?
Do you keep a list of your sexual partners? Maybe a “Buddy List” (Manhunt), a “Friends List” (Adam4Adam), or an iTrick list?
Prompt 4: For named partners
On what site/app did you meet this partner?
What other websites have you seen him/her on? What were his/her screen names on those sites?
What was the profile name of this partner? (Ask patient to write it down. If patient can’t remember, encourage OP to log on to the site/app right then to gather that information.)
What is his/her name/nickname?
How did you contact him/her? (Try to get OP to visit the website with you—ask to see his buddy list in order to obtain the exact spellings of the screen names.)
What is his/her telephone/mobile number? (Ask patient to write it down.)
What is his/her email address? (Ask patient to write it down.)
What days and times of day did you interact with this partner on the site/app? (This may help track down the partner for partner notification and service.)
Where does this partner live?
What does this partner look like?
Sex
Race/ethnicity
Age
Height
Weight
Hair (color, length)
Where did you meet for sex?
What day and time of the day?
Did you favorite him/her?
Do you have a smartphone? Can we log in and find their screen names?