Objective  To examine the utilization of different internet platforms in sexual partner searching and its influencing factors among young men who have sex with men (YMSM).

  Methods  We recruited YMSM (15 – 24 years old) with snowball sampling in Mianyang city of Sichuan province. Then we conducted a self-administered anonymous questionnaire survey among the YMSM to collect their information on situation of sexual partner searching via internet platform, social and sexual behaviors, and mental health and a serologic test was also carried out in the YMSM from September 2015 and June 2016.

  Results  Among the 357 YMSM with valid information, 72.5% reported having visited gay websites during previous 6 months; the motivations for browsing gay websites were to understand gay culture, to make friends, and to seek sensory stimulus, which were reported by 33.2%, 32.4%, and 17.6% of the gay websites visitors. Of all the YMSM, 97.2% reported searching sexual partners via internet during previous 6 months and the websites utilized for the searches included Blued, QQ, and gay websites, which were visited by 78.1%, 40.3%, and 17.3% of the YMSM, respectively. The results of multivariate analysis revealed that the YMSM with the education of college or above were more likely but those with bisexuality and other sexual orientation and having group sex during previous 6 months were less likely to seek sexual partners via Blued (P < 0.05 for all); the YMSM with ego-dystonic sexual orientation and preparing condom every time or sometime when having anal sex were more likely but those with the education of senior high school/technical secondary school, the education of college, with the age of ≥ 18 years at first homosexual behavior, and using condom when having oral sex during previous 6 months were less likely to utilize QQ for seeking sexual partner (all P < 0.05); whereas, the YMSM with bisexuality and other sexual orientation, having anxiety symptoms, having two or more anal sexual partners during previous 6 months, and using condom when having anal sex during previous 6 months were more likely to seek sexual partners via browsing gay websites (all P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  Gay websites are important internet platforms for participating in social culture activity and making friends but Blued is the most important way to seek sexual partners among YMSM; the utilization of different internet platforms is correlated with demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, and mental health status among YMSM.