Finding sexual partners online: prevalence and associations with sexual behaviour, STI diagnoses and other sexual health outcomes in the British population

Cabecinha, Melissa; Mercer, Catherine H; Gravningen, Kirsten; Aicken, Catherine; Jones, Kyle G; Tanton, Clare; Wellings, Kaye; Sonnenberg, Pam; Field, Nigel

doi:10.1136/sextrans-2016-052994

Cited by 42 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Higher uptake of finding partners online among nonheterosexual respondents was also observed in the British population survey. [4] Yet, in our study, after adjusting for age and other characteristics, the strongest correlate of having had sex with someone who was met online was higher numbers of sexual partners in the last year, suggesting that these technologies are favored by the most sexually active respondents. This finding is consistent with other studies which report that people who look for partners online have increased sexual activity compared to non-users, including younger age at first sex [2,5] and higher numbers of sexual partners.…”

Section: Principal Resultsmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Interestingly, this pattern has also been seen in the other two population studies with a significant relationship between STIs and searching for or meeting partners online among men but not women. [4,5] Findings from other studies have been mixed as to whether STI diagnoses are related to either finding or searching for sexual partners online. [1][2][3][4]17, 20] A number of studies have reported on HIV testing history among gay men and tend to find that men who use apps are more likely to have been tested for HIV.…”

Section: Principal Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This explanation seems highly plausible as online tools are often used to facilitate new sexual partnerships and those who report using online platforms to find sexual partners also report higher numbers of recent sexual partners, however the finding is in contrast with other many studies which tend to find meeting or seeking partners online is linked to condomless sexual intercourse. [4,5,15,16] In relation to STI history, both STI testing and diagnoses were higher among people who reported meeting partners online and having sex with them. Again, in the adjusted analysis there was attenuation of STI history for women after adjusting for numbers of sexual partners.…”

Section: Principal Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This finding is consistent with other studies which report that people who look for partners online have increased sexual activity compared to non-users, including younger age at first sex [2,5] and higher numbers of sexual partners. [2,4,5,13,16,17] Due to the cross-sectional nature of the survey, determining causality is not possible, so the findings could mean the platforms provide an efficient means for more sexually active individuals to connect with new partners, or alternatively people who were already more sexually active were attracted to the sites and other ways to meet sexual partners.…”

Section: Principal Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of the two population-level studies conducted to date, a study among Norwegian young people (aged 15-20 years) in 2009 found that 30% reported ever having had sex with somebody they met online (but did not ask about the last year), and a British survey in adults (16-74 years) conducted between 2010 and 2012 focused on the last year but only on looking for sexual partners, not whether the respondent had sex with them. [4,5] In 2012-13, the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR2) survey was conducted just after the introduction of Tinder and other geosocial dating apps. [6] ASHR2 is a national representative survey of the Australian population covering demographics, knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and experiences related to sexual health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Meeting Sexual Partners Through Internet Sites and Smartphone Apps in Australia: National Representative Study (Preprint)

Smith¹,

Guy²,

Degenhardt³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Section: Principal Resultsmentioning

confidence: 68%

Section: Principal Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Principal Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Principal Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Meeting Sexual Partners Through Internet Sites and Smartphone Apps in Australia: National Representative Study (Preprint)

Smith¹,

Guy²,

Degenhardt³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Improving care for sexually transmitted infections

Rietmeijer

2019

J Intern AIDS Soc

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Introduction Rising rates of reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the US and Europe are a public health priority and require a public health response. The diagnosis and treatment of STIs have been the cornerstone of STI control and prevention for many decades and, historically, publicly funded STI clinics have played a central role in the provision of STI care. Innovations in non‐invasive diagnostic techniques, especially nucleic acid amplification tests in the mid‐1990s, have facilitated the expansion of STI testing and treatment outside traditional STI clinics, including primary care, family planning, school‐based health, outreach, corrections, emergency departments and HIV prevention and care settings. As a result, the continued need for categorical STI clinics has been debated. In this Commentary, we discuss how practice can be improved at each level of STI care. Discussion STI practice improvement plans should be tailored to the strengths of each care setting. Thus, in primary care, the focus should be on improving STI screening rates, the provision of hepatitis B and human papillomavirus vaccines and, in jurisdictions where this is legal, expedited partner therapy for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Extragenital (pharyngeal and rectal) testing for gonorrhoea and chlamydia should be available in settings serving populations more vulnerable to STI acquisition at these anatomical sites, including men who have sex with men. In family planning settings with a mostly female patient population, there are opportunities to serve male partners with both contraceptive and STI services. STI screening rates can also be improved in other settings serving populations at increased risk for STIs, including school‐based clinics, emergency departments, correctional health facilities and providers of HIV care and prevention. These improvements are predominantly logistical in nature and not dependent on extensive STI clinical expertise. While some providers in these settings may have the clinical knowledge and skills to evaluate symptomatic patients, many do not, and STI speciality clinics must be available for consultation and referral and evolve from “safety net” providers of last resort to STI centres of excellence. Conclusions A tailored practice improvement plan can be envisioned to achieve an optimally functioning STI care continuum.

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Wie gut ist das Wissen über sexuell übertragbare Infektionen in Deutschland?

Matthiesen

Rüden

Dekker

et al. 2021

Bundesgesundheitsbl

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Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Sexuell übertragbare Infektionen (STI) sind ein relevanter Risikofaktor für die sexuelle Gesundheit des Einzelnen und der Bevölkerung. Für eine zielgruppenspezifische Präventionsarbeit ist der Wissensstand zu STI in verschiedenen Bevölkerungsgruppen daher von besonderem Interesse. Ziel Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, den Wissensstand zu neun STI in der deutschen Bevölkerung zu analysieren. Dafür werden Zusammenhänge mit soziodemografischen Variablen, sexualitätsbezogenen Merkmalen sowie der subjektiven Zufriedenheit mit dem Informationsstand untersucht. Methode Die GeSiD-Studie „Gesundheit und Sexualität in Deutschland“ erhob von 4955 Personen per Face-to-Face-Interview repräsentative quantitative Daten zum Wissensstand zu STI. Als Auswahlverfahren wurde eine zweifache Zufallsstichprobe gezogen. Dafür wurden zunächst 200 Sample Points (Gemeinden) in ganz Deutschland regional proportional ausgewählt. Anschließend wurde eine Zufallsstichprobe von Adressen über die jeweiligen Einwohnermeldeämter gezogen. Die Teilnahmequote betrug 30,2 %; das Durchschnittsalter lag bei 46,3 Jahren. Ergebnisse Wissen über HIV/Aids war in allen Altersgruppen weit verbreitet. Andere STI waren deutlich weniger bekannt. Besonders wenig informiert zeigten sich Ältere und Befragte mit niedrigem Bildungsstand, regionaler sozialer Benachteiligung sowie mit Migrationshintergrund. Eine höhere Anzahl von SexualpartnerInnen hing mit einem besseren Wissensstand zusammen. Gut informiert zeigten sich Personen, die sich nicht als heterosexuell beschreiben, sowie Personen, die schon einmal an einer STI erkrankt waren. Fazit Heterosexuelle Erwachsene in Deutschland sind unzureichend über STI informiert. Zielgruppenspezifische Anstrengungen zur Verbesserung des Wissens über STI sind nötig, um sexuelles Risikoverhalten zu vermindern und die Inanspruchnahme von Präventionsangeboten zu verbessern.

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Finding sexual partners online: prevalence and associations with sexual behaviour, STI diagnoses and other sexual health outcomes in the British population

Cited by 42 publications

References 23 publications

Meeting Sexual Partners Through Internet Sites and Smartphone Apps in Australia: National Representative Study (Preprint)

Meeting Sexual Partners Through Internet Sites and Smartphone Apps in Australia: National Representative Study (Preprint)

Improving care for sexually transmitted infections

Wie gut ist das Wissen über sexuell übertragbare Infektionen in Deutschland?

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