OnlyFans is a digital patronage platform on which over two million content creators produce sexually explicit content for more than 130 million users. Increased Internet access and innovative technologies that enhance sexuality via connections and knowledge are changing the ways people navigate their sexual lives. OnlyFans is unique due to its position between digital sex work and social media and its high degree of cultural assimilation. We explored with a mixed-method approach how OnlyFans users perceive the effects of their OnlyFans use on their sexual learning and sexual lives. A diverse sample of 425 OnlyFans users participated in our online survey. The quantitative results revealed that participants reported mostly positive influences of OnlyFans on their sexual lives, and that they learned new things in terms of sexual practices, sexual preferences, relationships, and sexual health. Participants also reported that they tried new things, including toy use, sexual identity exploration, sexual and relationship practices, and gender identity exploration. Thematic analysis for the qualitative question revealed increases in declarative/conceptual and procedural knowledge in terms of sexual improvements/expansion; improvements in relationships; self-improvement/expansion; skill acquisition; connecting with others through OnlyFans; and value-related learning outcomes. These results provide insight into the ways users engage with OnlyFans for sexual learning, exploration, and expansion at individual and partner-levels. Findings have implications for sex education and research and practice in digital spaces.

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The COVID 19 pandemic has impacted sexual health in a variety of ways. The purpose of this research was to examine the ways in which college students (attending a university providing primarily online curriculum during fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters) perceive the pandemic influencing their sexual health and lives. Participants were undergraduate students ( N = 66) at a mid-sized Western university recruited during the beginning of the spring 2021 semester. Participants completed an anonymous online survey. A Thematic Analysis of responses to two open-ended questions asking about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their sexual health and lives was conducted. Several important themes were identified during this analysis: (1) Sexual activity and quality, (2) Relationship dynamics, (3) Self-focus, (4) New partners, (5) Sexual healthcare, (6) No change. Findings have implications for promoting sexual health for students during times when the majority of instruction is conducted online.