Does the Internet Represent a Sexual Health Risk Environment for Young People?

Abstract

This study examined sexual risk behaviors/outcomes among college students with online partners only, offline partners only, and both online/offline partners. Students with both online/offline partners were more likely to report sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancy, and more vaginal/oral sex partners. Sex with online partners was not riskier than sex with offline partners.

Meeting sexual partners online: associated sexual behaviour and prevalent chlamydia infection among adolescents in Norway: a cross-sectional study

“…We found a high prevalence, compared with previous studies among heterosexual young people with estimates of 6%–33%,6 10 14 24 25 varying considerably with how participants were recruited. Although our questionnaire did not ask the specific context and online meeting venue for internet-partners, both this study and previous research show that not all adolescents reporting internet-partners may explicitly have sought sexual partners online 6 14. A recent study in a teen clinic in Florida among 273 participants (90% girls) found that four of five participants reporting internet-partners had met that partner on a social as opposed to sexual networking site, suggesting an initial social reason 6…”

“…Thus, our finding that boys (but not girls) reporting internet-partners (ever) had higher chlamydia prevalence than those reporting only offline partners may not contradict these results. Two recent studies on college students and MSM, respectively, found significantly more risk behaviours among individuals reporting both offline partners and internet-partners, suggesting that among those engaging in risky sexual behaviour, the internet was an additional source of sexual partners,5 14 but this could not be assessed in our data.…”

“…Our data show that there is a need to explore more details regarding the context and venues related to internet-partners, why and whom people meet and the associated risks of sexual ill-health to tailor effective interventions for individuals and population groups. Future population-based studies should include national probability sampling to be more representative, larger sample size, a broader range of ages and detailed questions on both offline and internet partnerships 5 14…”

“…In order to capture exposure to STIs, previous studies have tended to use self-reported STI diagnosis history rather than current infection status 2 5 9 10 13–15. Given the pervasiveness of social media use among adolescents and to better understand the relationship between internet use, sexual behaviour and STI transmission among them, the need for larger studies in representative samples of the general population2 16–18 with inclusion of biological outcomes14 has been recognised.…”

Men seeking sex online practise riskier sexual behaviours than men frequenting brothels: survey findings from Singapore

“…However, few studies have been conducted on their risky sexual behaviours and they showed mixed findings. One study found that internet sex seekers reported more sexual partners, more anal sex and more exposure to partners known to be HIV positive in the past 12 months than those not seeking sex online,1 whereas another study showed no increase in unprotected vaginal or anal sex at first sexual experience with an online than with an offline partner 10…”