Fully a third of users log on with lust in mind, says survey research.
Porn sites are one of the few types of e-commerce pulling in profits hand over fist.
Public health officials are finally waking up to those facts and are beginning to study the phenomena. Articles in the July 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association suggest that Internet sex may carry a greater risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. Mary McFarlane and colleagues with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked to see if there was a link between cyberspace and people visiting a STD clinic in Denver. They surveyed 856 clients over a nine-month period that ended in April. One-third identified as gay or bisexual.