The Social Geography of Partner Selection in Toronto, Canada: A Qualitative Description of "Convection Mixing".

The Social Geography of Partner Selection in Toronto, Canada: A Qualitative Description of "Convection Mixing". Arch Sex Behav. 2019 Oct 18;: Authors: Gesink D, Salway T, Kimura L, Connell J, Widener M, Ferlatte O Abstract The geographic distribution of sexually transmitted infections reflects the underlying social process of sexual partner selection. This qualitative study explored the social geography of partner selection among sexual minority men and used the results to develop a mid-range theory of STI transmission. In-depth interviews with 31 sexual minority men who lived, worked, or socialized in Toronto, Canada, occurred in June and July 2016. Participants were asked how they found sexual partners and reconstructed their egocentric sexual networks for the previous 3 months. Participants described an iterative process of partner selection involving intention (sex versus dating), connecting with community, and selecting a partner based on intersecting partner characteristics (external, internal, and emergent feelings when interacting with potential partners) and personal preferences. Geography influenced partner selection three ways: (1) participant search patterns maximized the number of potential partners in the shortest distance possible; (2) the density of sexual minority men in a participant's community directly impacted participant's social and sexual isolations; and (3) geosexual isolation influenced sexual mixing patter...
Source: Archives of Sexual Behavior - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Arch Sex Behav Source Type: research