Students who use dating apps are risking sexual health

Dating apps have long been part of young people's lives, but a study published in the journal Frontiers in Reproductive Health has found a worrying link between their use and risky sexual behaviour, according to a Medicalxpress article.

The surge in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) being reported around the world is particularly affecting young people between the ages of 20 and 34. In the US, one of the countries with the highest prevalence of STDs, cases of chlamydia have doubled since 2000, gonorrhoea by 40 per cent and syphilis by 400 per cent.

How apps affect sexual behaviour

A study by Dr Jacquetta Reeves from the University of Texas at Arlington found that students who use dating apps have a higher number of sexual partners and are more likely to have unprotected sex, which increases the risk of STD and HIV transmission.

Reeves' team surveyed 122 students between the ages of 19 and 35 from north Texas in 2022. They anonymously reported their experiences with apps, number of sexual partners, visits to student clinics, history of STDs, and condom use.

Key findings:

• Students who used apps were 2.2 times more likely to have had more than one partner in the past year.
• People who combined sexual activity with alcohol use were 1.4 times more likely to use apps.
• Those who started sexual activity between the ages of 16 and 19 were 1.5 times more likely to use apps than those who started in their 20s or later.
• Students who had STD tests at university clinics were 1.8 times more likely to use apps.

However, the frequency of condom use during vaginal and oral sex did not differ between app users and those who did not use them.

Cause or effect?

The researchers note that the link between apps and risky behaviour is two-way:

• Apps make it easier to find casual partners, which can lead to non-compliance with safer sex norms.
• People already engaging in risky behaviour may choose apps to find partners with similar preferences.

What can be done

Dr Reeves recommends a number of measures to break this cycle:

1. Integrate sex education into dating apps.
2. Campaigns to promote safer sex among young people.
3. Improving access to STD and HIV testing.
4. Using technology for test reminders and notifications of possible risks.

Dating apps are becoming an integral part of young people's lives and it is important to harness their potential to promote safer sex culture and improve sexual health.

Source: Jaquetta M. Reeves et al, "Exploring relationships between dating app use and sexual activity among young adult college students," Frontiers in Reproductive Health (2024).