ReviewJMIR mHealth and uHealth2016
Safe Sex Messages Within Dating and Entertainment Smartphone Apps: A Review.
Review in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Applying technology to promote sexual and reproductive health and prevent gender based violence for adolescents in low and middle-income countries: digital health strategies synthesis from an umbrella review.BMC health services research · 2022Pooled it
- Effectiveness of a Peer-Led Web-Based Intervention to Improve General Self-Efficacy in Using Dating Apps Among Young Adults: Randomized Clustered Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Trial
- Swiping right on PrEP: a qualitative study of MSM preferences for PrEP public health messaging on dating apps.AIDS care · 2024Article
- The Media and Sexual Violence Among Adolescents: Findings from a Qualitative Study of Educators Across Vietnam.Archives of sexual behavior · 2024Article
- Latent Class Analysis of Online Platforms for Partner-Seeking and Sexual Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex with Men from Central Kentucky.AIDS and behavior · 2024Article
- Motivations, dating app relationships, unintended consequences and change in sexual behaviour in dating app users at an Australian music festival.Harm reduction journal · 2021Article
- Gay and Bisexual Men's Recommendations for Effective Digital Social Marketing Campaigns to Enhance HIV Prevention and Care Continuity.AIDS and behavior · 2021Article
- Geosocial Networking Dating App Usage and Risky Sexual Behavior in Young Adults Attending a Music Festival: Cross-sectional Questionnaire Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Article
- Dating Applications, Sexual Behaviors, and Attitudes of College Students in Brazil's Legal Amazon.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
- Inferring Sexually Transmitted Infection Risk From Attractiveness in Online Dating Among Adolescents and Young Adults: Exploratory Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Article
- SMARTtest: A Smartphone App to Facilitate HIV and Syphilis Self- and Partner-Testing, Interpretation of Results, and Linkage to Care.AIDS and behavior · 2020Article
- Using Crowdsourcing to Develop a Peer-Led Intervention for Safer Dating App Use: Pilot Study.JMIR formative research · 2020Article
- Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mobile Technology Intervention to Support Postabortion Care in British Columbia: Phase I.Journal of medical Internet research · 2019Article
- The Characteristics and Quality of Mobile Phone Apps Targeted at Men Who Have Sex With Men in China: A Window of Opportunity for Health Information Dissemination?JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSmartphone apps provide a new platform for entertainment, information distribution, and health promotion activities, as well as for dating and casual sexual encounters. Previous research has shown high acceptability of sexual health interventions via smartphone apps; however, sexual health promotion apps were infrequently downloaded and underused. Integrating sexual health promotion into established apps might be a more effective method.
objectiveThe objective of our study was to critically review popular sex-related apps and dating apps, in order to ascertain whether they contain any sexual health content.
methodsPart 1: In January 2015, we used the term "sexual" to search for free apps in the Apple iTunes store and Android Google Play store, and categorized the sexual health content of the 137 apps identified. Part 2: We used the term "dating" to search for free geosocial-networking apps in the Apple iTunes and Android Google Play stores. The apps were downloaded to test functionality and to determine whether they included sexual health content.
resultsPart 1: Of the 137 apps identified, 15 (11.0%) had sexual health content and 15 (11.0%) contained messages about sexual assault or violence. The majority of the apps did not contain any sexual health content. Part 2: We reviewed 60 dating apps: 44 (73%) targeting heterosexual users, 9 (15%) targeting men who have sex with men (MSM), 3 (5%) targeting lesbian women, and 4 (7%) for group dating. Only 9 dating apps contained sexual health content, of which 7 targeted MSM.
conclusionsThe majority of sex-related apps and dating apps contained no sexual health content that could educate users about and remind them of their sexual risks. Sexual health practitioners and public health departments will need to work with app developers to promote sexual health within existing popular apps. For those apps that already contain sexual health messages, further study to investigate the effectiveness of the content is needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.