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

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

doi:10.1136/sextrans-2016-052994

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

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

Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Objectives Online venues might facilitate sexual encounters, but the extent to which finding partners online is associated with sexual risk behaviour and sexual health outcomes is unclear. We describe use of the internet to find sexual partners in a representative sample in Britain. Methods The third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) was a cross-sectional probability survey of 15-162 adults (aged 16-74 years) undertaken 2010-2012. We estimated prevalence of, and identified factors associated with, finding sexual partners online among those reporting ≥1 new sexual partners in the past year. Results Finding sexual partners online in the past year was reported by 17.6% (95% CI 15.6 to 19.9) of men and 10.1% (8.5-11.9) of women, and most common among those aged 35-44 years. After age-adjustment, those reporting a non-heterosexual identity were more likely to report this. Finding partners online was also associated with reporting sexual risk behaviours: condomless sex with ≥2 partners (adjusted OR (aOR) men: 1.52 (1.03 to 2.23); women: 1.62 (1.06 to 2.49)), concurrent partnerships (aOR men: 2.33 (1.62 to 3.35); women: 2.41 (1.49 to 3.87)) and higher partner numbers (reporting ≥5 partners aOR men: 5.95 (3.78 to 9.36); women: 7.00 (3.77 to 13.00)) (all past year). STI diagnoses and HIV testing were more common among men reporting finding partners online (adjusted for age, partner numbers, same-sex partnerships), but not women. Conclusions Finding partners online was associated with markers of sexual risk, which might be important for clinical risk assessment, but this was not matched by uptake of sexual health services. Online opportunities to find partners have increased, so these data might underestimate the importance of this social phenomenon for public health and STI control.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	572-582
Number of pages	11
Journal	Sexually Transmitted Infections
Volume	93
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2016-052994
Publication status	Published - 10 Apr 2017

Bibliographical note

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt and build upon this work, for commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Keywords

sexual behaviour
sexual experience
sexual health

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10.1136/sextrans-2016-052994Licence: CC BY

Finding sexual partners onlineFinal published version, 614 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Cabecinha, M., Mercer, C. H., Gravningen, K., Aicken, C., Jones, K. G., Tanton, C., Wellings, K., Sonnenberg, P., & Field, N. (2017). Finding sexual partners online: Prevalence and associations with sexual behaviour, STI diagnoses and other sexual health outcomes in the British population. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 93(8), 572-582. https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2016-052994

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title = "Finding sexual partners online: Prevalence and associations with sexual behaviour, STI diagnoses and other sexual health outcomes in the British population",

abstract = "Objectives Online venues might facilitate sexual encounters, but the extent to which finding partners online is associated with sexual risk behaviour and sexual health outcomes is unclear. We describe use of the internet to find sexual partners in a representative sample in Britain. Methods The third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) was a cross-sectional probability survey of 15-162 adults (aged 16-74 years) undertaken 2010-2012. We estimated prevalence of, and identified factors associated with, finding sexual partners online among those reporting ≥1 new sexual partners in the past year. Results Finding sexual partners online in the past year was reported by 17.6% (95% CI 15.6 to 19.9) of men and 10.1% (8.5-11.9) of women, and most common among those aged 35-44 years. After age-adjustment, those reporting a non-heterosexual identity were more likely to report this. Finding partners online was also associated with reporting sexual risk behaviours: condomless sex with ≥2 partners (adjusted OR (aOR) men: 1.52 (1.03 to 2.23); women: 1.62 (1.06 to 2.49)), concurrent partnerships (aOR men: 2.33 (1.62 to 3.35); women: 2.41 (1.49 to 3.87)) and higher partner numbers (reporting ≥5 partners aOR men: 5.95 (3.78 to 9.36); women: 7.00 (3.77 to 13.00)) (all past year). STI diagnoses and HIV testing were more common among men reporting finding partners online (adjusted for age, partner numbers, same-sex partnerships), but not women. Conclusions Finding partners online was associated with markers of sexual risk, which might be important for clinical risk assessment, but this was not matched by uptake of sexual health services. Online opportunities to find partners have increased, so these data might underestimate the importance of this social phenomenon for public health and STI control.",

keywords = "sexual behaviour, sexual experience, sexual health",

author = "Melissa Cabecinha and Mercer, {Catherine H.} and Kirsten Gravningen and Catherine Aicken and Jones, {Kyle G.} and Clare Tanton and Kaye Wellings and Pam Sonnenberg and Nigel Field",

note = "This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt and build upon this work, for commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",

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doi = "10.1136/sextrans-2016-052994",

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Cabecinha, M, Mercer, CH, Gravningen, K, Aicken, C, Jones, KG, Tanton, C, Wellings, K, Sonnenberg, P & Field, N 2017, 'Finding sexual partners online: Prevalence and associations with sexual behaviour, STI diagnoses and other sexual health outcomes in the British population', Sexually Transmitted Infections, vol. 93, no. 8, pp. 572-582. https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2016-052994

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 et al.
In: Sexually Transmitted Infections, Vol. 93, No. 8, 10.04.2017, p. 572-582.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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T1 - Finding sexual partners online

T2 - Prevalence and associations with sexual behaviour, STI diagnoses and other sexual health outcomes in the British population

AU - Cabecinha, Melissa

AU - Mercer, Catherine H.

AU - Gravningen, Kirsten

AU - Aicken, Catherine

AU - Jones, Kyle G.

AU - Tanton, Clare

AU - Wellings, Kaye

AU - Sonnenberg, Pam

AU - Field, Nigel

N1 - This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt and build upon this work, for commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

PY - 2017/4/10

Y1 - 2017/4/10

N2 - Objectives Online venues might facilitate sexual encounters, but the extent to which finding partners online is associated with sexual risk behaviour and sexual health outcomes is unclear. We describe use of the internet to find sexual partners in a representative sample in Britain. Methods The third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) was a cross-sectional probability survey of 15-162 adults (aged 16-74 years) undertaken 2010-2012. We estimated prevalence of, and identified factors associated with, finding sexual partners online among those reporting ≥1 new sexual partners in the past year. Results Finding sexual partners online in the past year was reported by 17.6% (95% CI 15.6 to 19.9) of men and 10.1% (8.5-11.9) of women, and most common among those aged 35-44 years. After age-adjustment, those reporting a non-heterosexual identity were more likely to report this. Finding partners online was also associated with reporting sexual risk behaviours: condomless sex with ≥2 partners (adjusted OR (aOR) men: 1.52 (1.03 to 2.23); women: 1.62 (1.06 to 2.49)), concurrent partnerships (aOR men: 2.33 (1.62 to 3.35); women: 2.41 (1.49 to 3.87)) and higher partner numbers (reporting ≥5 partners aOR men: 5.95 (3.78 to 9.36); women: 7.00 (3.77 to 13.00)) (all past year). STI diagnoses and HIV testing were more common among men reporting finding partners online (adjusted for age, partner numbers, same-sex partnerships), but not women. Conclusions Finding partners online was associated with markers of sexual risk, which might be important for clinical risk assessment, but this was not matched by uptake of sexual health services. Online opportunities to find partners have increased, so these data might underestimate the importance of this social phenomenon for public health and STI control.

AB - Objectives Online venues might facilitate sexual encounters, but the extent to which finding partners online is associated with sexual risk behaviour and sexual health outcomes is unclear. We describe use of the internet to find sexual partners in a representative sample in Britain. Methods The third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) was a cross-sectional probability survey of 15-162 adults (aged 16-74 years) undertaken 2010-2012. We estimated prevalence of, and identified factors associated with, finding sexual partners online among those reporting ≥1 new sexual partners in the past year. Results Finding sexual partners online in the past year was reported by 17.6% (95% CI 15.6 to 19.9) of men and 10.1% (8.5-11.9) of women, and most common among those aged 35-44 years. After age-adjustment, those reporting a non-heterosexual identity were more likely to report this. Finding partners online was also associated with reporting sexual risk behaviours: condomless sex with ≥2 partners (adjusted OR (aOR) men: 1.52 (1.03 to 2.23); women: 1.62 (1.06 to 2.49)), concurrent partnerships (aOR men: 2.33 (1.62 to 3.35); women: 2.41 (1.49 to 3.87)) and higher partner numbers (reporting ≥5 partners aOR men: 5.95 (3.78 to 9.36); women: 7.00 (3.77 to 13.00)) (all past year). STI diagnoses and HIV testing were more common among men reporting finding partners online (adjusted for age, partner numbers, same-sex partnerships), but not women. Conclusions Finding partners online was associated with markers of sexual risk, which might be important for clinical risk assessment, but this was not matched by uptake of sexual health services. Online opportunities to find partners have increased, so these data might underestimate the importance of this social phenomenon for public health and STI control.

KW - sexual behaviour

KW - sexual experience

KW - sexual health

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DO - 10.1136/sextrans-2016-052994

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C2 - 28396557

AN - SCOPUS:85028773618

SN - 1368-4973

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JO - Sexually Transmitted Infections

JF - Sexually Transmitted Infections

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ER -

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

Abstract

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