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© 2016. This work is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background: Smartphone 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.

Objective: The 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.

Methods: Part 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.

Results: Part 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.

Conclusions: The 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.

Details

Title
Safe Sex Messages Within Dating and Entertainment Smartphone Apps: A Review
Author
Huang, Evelyn Tzu-Yen  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Williams, Henrietta  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Hocking, Jane S  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Lim, Megan SC  VIAFID ORCID Logo 
Section
Quality Evaluation and Descriptive Analysis/Reviews of Multiple Existing Mobile Apps
Publication year
2016
Publication date
Oct-Dec 2016
Publisher
JMIR Publications
e-ISSN
22915222
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2510259308
Copyright
© 2016. This work is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.