The association between smartphone dating applications and college students' casual sex encounters and condom use.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the association between using smartphone dating applications (apps) and having unprotected sex with a casual sex partner.

STUDY

DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional study. Students were recruited from four university campuses in Hong Kong by convenience sampling.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjects completed a structured questionnaire asking about the use of dating apps, sexual history and socio-demographic information. Multiple logistic regressions were used to explore the association between using dating apps and having unprotected sex with a casual sex partner.

RESULTS

Six hundred and sixty-six subjects were included in the analysis. Users of dating apps were more likely to have had unprotected sex with a casual sex partner the last time they engaged in sexual intercourse (aOR: 10.06). Using dating apps for more than 12 months was associated with having a casual sex partner in the last sexual intercourse (aOR: 3.21), as well as having unprotected sex with that casual partner (aOR: 13.56).

CONCLUSION

We found a robust association between using dating apps and having unprotected sex with a casual sex partner, implying that using dating apps is an emerging sexual risk factor. We recommend that interventions promoting the safe use of dating apps should be implemented.