Sexual Health Information Seeking Online

Abstract

The current study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the positive and negative aspects of Internet use for sexual health information among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young people. A diverse community sample of 32 LGBT young people (aged 16-24 years) completed qualitative interviews focusing on how, where, and when LGBT young people use the Internet for sexual health information. Results indicate that although many participants seek facts and statistics about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV online, few conduct searches about broader aspects of sexual health. Participants reported that fear about becoming infected with STIs/HIV is a common motivator of searches and noted a number of reasons for not using online sexual health information, including stigma associated with being observed accessing LGBT or HIV information. Together, the results revealed not only significant interest in online sexual health information but also concerns about the perceived limitations of this promising method of sexual health promotion.

Sensitive Health Topics With Underserved Patient Populations: Methodological Considerations for Online Focus Group Discussions

“…Online environments are a normative place for LGBTQ people to interact, given evidence that LGBTQ individuals already use the Internet to look for sexual health information (Gauthier & Chaudoir, 2004; Hillier, Mitchell, & Ybarra, 2012; Magee, Bigelow, DeHaan, & Mustanski, 2012; Mitchell, Ybarra, Korchmaros, & Kosciw, 2014; Mustanski, Lyons, & Garcia, 2011) and social support (Hillier et al, 2012; White Hughto, Hidalgo, Bazzi, Reisner, & Mimiaga, 2016; Ybarra, Mitchell, Palmer, & Reisner, 2015). The Internet also offers access to virtual spaces that LGBTQ people, particularly LGBTQ youth, perceive to be safer to socialize in than offline settings (Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network, 2013; Hillier et al, 2012; White Hughto, Pachankis, Eldahan, & Keene, 2016).…”

A Mixed-Methods Study of Condom Use and Decision Making Among Adolescent Gay and Bisexual Males

“…In order to draw comparisons between sub-groups of focus group participants, we merged the quantitative data (i.e., sexual experience, urban/rural status, and age groupings) using mixed methods approaches 38,39 that have been used successfully in prior studies 40–42 . Because established consensus guidelines do not exist for the size of group differences needed to be considered meaningful in mixed-methods research, following Magee 41 we considered group differences to be meaningful if they met three criteria: (a) differences had to be noticed as a theme during qualitative analysis, (b) the themes being compared had to be endorsed by a minimum of five participants, and (c) code application rates within each of the two groups being compared had to differ by at least 20%. To facilitate readability, minor changes in grammar and spelling were corrected in quotations from focus group participants.…”

Queer identity online: Informal learning and teaching experiences of LGBTQ individuals on social media

“…The scope of information on the internetdas well as the ability to access it anonymouslydis invaluable (Craig & McInroy, 2014). At this time, the majority of research on online information seeking and learning by LGBTQ individuals has been focused on sexual health (e.g., DeHaan et al, 2013;Magee, Bigelow, DeHaan, & Mustanski, 2012;Mitchell, Ybarra, Korchmaros, & Kosciw, 2014). What remains understudied is the informal learning that occurs via day-today interactions online, particularly through interactions with others on social media.…”