Students who use dating apps take more risks with their sexual health

In May, the WHO raised the alarm over the rise in incidence of sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) in many regions of the world, currently running at more than a million new cases per day. Among high-income countries, the US has one of the highest prevalences of STIs, and this problem is getting worse. For example, the incidence of chlamydia has more than doubled since 2000, while gonorrhea increased by 40% and syphilis by 400%. The highest prevalence is among young adults between 20 and 34 years of age.

Over roughly the same period, technology made it easier than ever to find sex partners: more than half of Americans under 30 report using dating apps. Such apps have existed for over 20 years but became mainstream around 2010. Now, a new study in Frontiers in Reproductive Health shows that these two modern phenomena may be linked.

“Here we show the use of dating apps among college students is linked to an increase in unprotected sexual behaviors and a higher number of sexual partners, raising the risk of STI and HIV transmission,” said Dr Jaquetta Reeves, the study’s corresponding author and an assistant professor at the College of Nursing and Health Innovation of the University of Texas at Arlington.

Let’s talk about sex

In 2022, Reeves and colleagues used an anonymous online questionnaire to interview 122 young adult college students between 19 and 35 years old of both genders in northern Texas. Participants were first asked if they had ever used a dating app. They were then invited to give information about their sexual behavior: for example, their number of partners, use of university campus clinics, history of STIs, and practice of condomless intercourse.

Through three open questions, the participants were asked about any sexual partners they had met through dating apps, whether in a committed relationship, as ‘friends-with-benefits’, or hook-ups.

The use of dating apps was more common among White (47%) than among Black students (12%); more common among men (64%) than among women (33%); and more common among people who identified as heterosexual (86%) than among those who identified as gay or lesbian (14%).

The analyses revealed significant differences between participants who used dating apps and those who had never done so. For example, those who reported having more than one sexual partner over the past year were 2.2 times more likely to use dating apps than those with only one partner, while those who reported having sex in combination with alcohol were 1.4 times more likely to use such apps. Participants who reported having their first sexual encounter at ages between 16 and 19 were 1.5 times more likely to use apps than those who reported their first sexual encounter at 20 years old or later.

Students who had ever undergone HIV/STI screened at their campus clinic were 1.8 times more likely to use apps than those who had never been screened, while those had ever tested positive for HIV/STI were 1.3 times more likely to use apps.

The authors didn’t find any differences in the frequency of condom use during oral and vaginal sex between those who used dating apps and those who did not. In contrast, those who reported always or often using condoms during anal sex were 1.1 times more likely to use apps than those who rarely or never used condoms during anal sex.

Mutually reinforcing behaviors

In summary, Reeves et al. concluded that there was a significant positive association between the use of dating apps and engagement in risky sexual behaviors among the students. But which might be the cause of this association, and which the effect?

“Causality between risky sexual behaviors and dating app use likely flows both ways. Dating apps make it easier to find casual partners, which can lead to risky behaviors like inconsistent condom use. Conversely, individuals already engaging in risky behaviors may turn to dating apps for partners who share similar practices,” suggested Reeves.

“To break this vicious cycle, sexual health interventions should focus on integrating sexual health education into apps, promoting safer sex norms through youth campaigns, improving access to STI/HIV testing, reducing stigma around sexual health discussions, and using technology for testing reminders and exposure notifications,” recommended Reeves.