Meeting Sexual Partners Online and Associations with Sexual Risk Behaviors in the Swedish Population

The Journal of Sexual Medicine - Tập 17 - Trang 2141-2147 - 2020
Charlotte Deogan1,2, Elin Jacobsson1, Louise Mannheimer1,3, Charlotte Björkenstam1,4
1The Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden
2Department of Public Health Sciences, Division Global Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
3Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
4Uppsala University, Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Uppsala, Sweden

Tóm tắt

Abstract Background

Online arenas may facilitate sexual encounters. However, to what extent finding sexual partners online is associated with sexual risk behavior and sexual health outcomes is still not fully explored.

Methods

A stratified randomized population based study on sexual and reproductive health and rights of 50,000 Swedes was conducted in 2017. The final sample consisted of 14,537 women and men aged 16–84 years. We identified sexual health factors associated with finding sexual partners online and estimated prevalences thereof.

Results

Having used the internet to meet sexual partners was reported by 11% (95% confidence interval: 10.1–12.3) of men and 7% (95% confidence interval: 6.0–7.4) of women and was most common among men aged 30–44 years (13.7%). After adjustment, those reporting a non-heterosexual identity were most likely to meet sexual partners online. Meeting sexual partners online was also associated with reporting several sexual risk behaviors: condomless sex with temporary partner during the past 12 months, adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 5.1 (3.8–6.8) for women and AOR: 6.0 (4.5–7.9) for men, and having had a test for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) generated a 4-fold AOR for both sexes, STI diagnosis showed a 2-fold AOR, ever having paid or given other compensation for sex AOR: 4.8 (2.7–8.8) for women and AOR: 4.2 (2.9–6.1) for men as well as ever having received money or other compensation for sex AOR: 4.0 (1.3–11.9) for women and AOR: 6.0 (2.4–15.1) for men.

Clinical translation

Meeting sexual partners online was associated with sexual risk behaviors, which is of importance in tailoring sexual health interventions and STI/HIV-control activities.

Strengths and limitations

Few studies of online sexual behaviors are based on population-based surveys of the general population with results stratified by sexual identity. However, the use of lifetime prevalence of ever having used the internet, smartphone, or app to meet sexual partners has limitations.

Conclusion

Meeting sexual partners online was associated with sexual risk behaviors in a randomized sample of the Swedish population, which is of importance to tailoring sexual health interventions.


Tài liệu tham khảo

The Swedish Internet Foundation, The Swedes and the internet 2017. Study on the internet habits in Sweden Garnett, 1999, Sexual mixing patterns of patients attending sexually transmitted diseases clinics, Sex Transm Dis, 23, 248, 10.1097/00007435-199605000-00015 Anderson, 1990, The significance of sexual partner contact networks for the transmission dynamics of HIV, J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr, 3, 417 Liau, 2006, Meta-analytic examination of online sex-seeking and sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men, Sex Transm Dis, 33, 576, 10.1097/01.olq.0000204710.35332.c5 Al-Tayyib, 2009, Finding sex partners on the internet: what is the risk for sexually transmitted infections?, Sex Transm Infect, 85, 216, 10.1136/sti.2008.032631 Döring, 2009, The Internet’s impact on sexuality: A critical review of 15 years of research, Comp Hum Behav, 25, 1089, 10.1016/j.chb.2009.04.003 Rogge, 2020, Is Tinder–Grindr Use Risky? Distinguishing Venue from Individuals’ Behavior as Unique Predictors of Sexual Risk, Arch Sex Behav, 49, 1263, 10.1007/s10508-019-01594-w Grov, 2013, Exploring the venue’s role in risky sexual behavior among gay and bisexual men: An event-level analysis from a national online survey in the U.S, Arch Sex Behav, 42, 291, 10.1007/s10508-011-9854-x Cabecinha, 2017, Finding sexual partners online: prevalence and associations with sexual behaviour, STI diagnoses and other sexual health outcomes in the British population, Sex Transm Infect, 93, 572, 10.1136/sextrans-2016-052994 Ogilvie, 2008, Seeking sexual partners on the Internet: A marker for risky sexual behaviour in men who have sex with men, C JPublic Health, 99, 185 Zou, 2016, Characteristics of men who have sex with men who use smartphone geosocial networking applications and implications for HIV interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Arch Sex Behav, 46, 885, 10.1007/s10508-016-0709-3 Lewnard, 2014, Internet-based partner selection and risk for unprotected anal intercourse in sexual encounters among men who have sex with men: a meta-analysis of observational studies, Sex Transm Infect, 90, 290, 10.1136/sextrans-2013-051332 Persson, 2016, Experimentals, bottoms, risk-reducers and clubbers: exploring diverse sexual practice in an Internet-active high-risk behaviour group of men who have sex with men in Sweden, Cul Health Sex, 18, 639, 10.1080/13691058.2015.1103384 Daneback, 2007, Using the Internet to find offline sex partners, Cyberpsychol Behav, 10, 100, 10.1089/cpb.2006.9986 Johansson, 2018, Factors associated with condom use and HIV testing among young men who have sex with men: a cross-sectional survey in a random online sample in Sweden, Sex Transm Infect, 0, 1 Gravningen, 2016, Meeting sexual partners online: associated sexual behaviour and prevalent chlamydia infection among adolescents in Norway: a cross-sectional study, Sex Transm Infect, 92, 97, 10.1136/sextrans-2015-052152 Ludvigsson, 2016, Registers of the Swedish total population and their use in medical research, Eur J Epidemiol, 31, 125, 10.1007/s10654-016-0117-y Sweden, 2018, Longitudinal integration database for health insurance and labour market studies (LISA) Ludvigsson, 2009, The Swedish personal identity number: possibilities and pitfalls in healthcare and medical research, Eur J Epidemiol, 24, 659, 10.1007/s10654-009-9350-y Daneback, 2011, The complexity of internet sexuality, Adv Psychosoma Med, 31, 121, 10.1159/000328920 Sonnenberg, 2013, Prevalence, risk factors, and uptake of interventions for sexually transmitted infections in Britain: findings from The National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), Lancet, 382, 1795, 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61947-9 Bolding, 2006, Heterosexual men and women who seek sex through the Internet, Int J STD AIDS, 17, 530, 10.1258/095646206778145695