Background:
Identifying venues for recruitment of sex partners at high risk for sexually transmitted disease (STD) will help better target intervention efforts.

Objective:
To examine venues for sex partner recruitment and implications for STD risk.

Method:
In 2003-2004, we conducted a random-digit-dial survey of STD risk factors, methods for searching for sex partners, and STD history among 18-39 year old men and women in Seattle, Washington.

Result:
We analyzed data from 977 (87.7%) survey respondents who were ever sexually active and had sex partners in the last 12 months. The most common venues where respondents first met at least one of these partners were: through friends/family (32.3%), school (23.6%), work (20.6%), private parties (17.3%), bars/nightclubs (15.1%), vacation/business trips (6.8%), and the Internet (6.1%); 10.4% reported other venues for meeting these partners. Respondents reporting only opposite sex partners (27.6%) and same and opposite sex partners (35%) were most likely to have met at least one sex partner through friends/family, while respondents reporting same sex partners were most likely to meet at least one sex partner at a bar/nightclub (47.4%). Individuals (n=17) who first met at least one sex partner in the last year through personal advertisements/dating service were most likely to have ever been diagnosed with any STD (35.3%); they were most likely to have ever received a diagnosis of human papillomavirus (29.4%), chlamydia (17.7%), and genital herpes (17.7%). In contrast, those who first met at least one sex partner at church (n=17) were least likely to have ever been diagnosed with any STD (11.8%).

Conclusion:
Individuals seeking sex partners via certain venues may be at elevated risk of STD acquisition and transmission.

Implications:
Higher risk venues should be targeted for STD intervention.