Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33947408›Full record

ArticleHarm reduction journal2021

Motivations, dating app relationships, unintended consequences and change in sexual behaviour in dating app users at an Australian music festival.

Shirali Garga, Meryl T Thomas, Ashneet Bhatia, Aidan Sullivan, Franklin John-Leader, Sabrina W Pit

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Harm reduction journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Dating App Use and Sexual Risk: Understanding the Associations between Casual Sex Motivation, Number of Sexual Partners, and STI Diagnoses.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2023
    Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Shirali Garga *School of Medicine, University Centre for Rural Health, Western Sydney University, 61 Uralba Street, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia.
Meryl T Thomas *School of Medicine, University Centre for Rural Health, Western Sydney University, 61 Uralba Street, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia.
Ashneet BhatiaSchool of Medicine, University Centre for Rural Health, Western Sydney University, 61 Uralba Street, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia.
Aidan SullivanSchool of Medicine, University Centre for Rural Health, Western Sydney University, 61 Uralba Street, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia.
Franklin John-LeaderHarm Reduction and Health Promotion Programs, HIV and Related Programs (HARP), North Coast Public Health, Mid-North Coast Local Health District, Lismore, Australia.
Sabrina W PitSchool of Medicine, University Centre for Rural Health, Western Sydney University, 61 Uralba Street, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia. s.pit@westernsydney.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0003-2410-0703
Western Sydney University · AUCentral Coast Local Health District · AUThe University of Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDespite the popularity of dating apps, there remain scarce data on the motivations, consequences and their influence on sexual behaviour change in the Australian population.

objectiveTo explore motivations, dating app relationships, unintended consequences and change in sexual behaviour in dating app users at an Australian music festival.

methodsA cross-sectional study design was used. Festival patrons aged 18-30 at a major Australian music festival completed a paper-based survey. Logistic regression was used to identify which factors were associated with an increase in sexual partners since using dating apps.

resultsThe primary reasons for dating app use (N = 437) were boredom (59.7%), casual sex (45.1%) and casual dating (42.8%). A third of users used them at music festivals (33.8%, n = 432). A third of participants had used dating apps for more than 2 years (33.3%) and a third (33.0%) of users claimed to have changed their sexual behaviour after app use, including increased frequency of sexual activity (70.0%), number of sexual partners (57.1%) and sexual experimentation (42.1%). Dating app users tended not to discuss sexually transmitted infections (STI) status with a sexual partner regardless of whether they had met them on an app or not: 38.5% would 'never' and 36.9% would 'sometimes' have safe sex discussions with partners met via apps. Condoms were 'always' used for 36.9% of dating app users when meeting partners via dating apps, compared to 29.9% met by other means. 8.6% of dating app users reported having contracted STIs, and 2.8% had unwanted pregnancies with those met on dating apps. After adjusting for socio-demographics, those who had an STI after engaging in sexual activity with a person met via a dating app had 2.4 times the odds of reporting an increase in sexual partners, and those who had used a dating app for over 2 years had twice the odds of reporting an increase in sexual partners. When condom use was entered into the model, those that 'often' or 'sometimes' used a condom with a new dating app partner were twice as likely to report an increase in sexual partners since using dating apps, compared to those who 'always' used a condom with a new dating app partner. Sexual orientation and STI discussions with a new sexual dating app partner were not associated with an increase in dating app partners.

conclusionDating app usage is common and users report increased sexual activity, sexual partners and experimentation. STI discussions with potential partners and condom use remained low regardless of how partners were met and despite an increase in sexual partners since using dating apps. Given the high-risk nature of individuals that utilise dating apps, safe sex discussion, including STIs, pregnancies and condom use should be promoted to improve sexual health outcomes.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsMusicSexually Transmitted DiseasesAustraliaCondomsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHolidaysHumansMaleMotivationSexual BehaviorSexual Partners

Identifiers

PMID33947408
PMCPMC8097824
OpenAlexW3159766223

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.