Sexual Health Information Seeking Online
- 13 April 2011
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Health Education & Behavior
- Vol. 39 (3), 276-289
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198111401384
Abstract
The current study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the positive and negative aspects of Internet use for sexual health information among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young people. A diverse community sample of 32 LGBT young people (aged 16-24 years) completed qualitative interviews focusing on how, where, and when LGBT young people use the Internet for sexual health information. Results indicate that although many participants seek facts and statistics about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV online, few conduct searches about broader aspects of sexual health. Participants reported that fear about becoming infected with STIs/HIV is a common motivator of searches and noted a number of reasons for not using online sexual health information, including stigma associated with being observed accessing LGBT or HIV information. Together, the results revealed not only significant interest in online sexual health information but also concerns about the perceived limitations of this promising method of sexual health promotion.Keywords
This publication has 33 references indexed in Scilit:
- Quality and Accuracy of Sexual Health Information Web Sites Visited by Young PeopleJournal of Adolescent Health, 2010
- An Observational Study of How Young People Search for Online Sexual Health InformationJournal of American College Health, 2009
- Increasing the Reach of HIV Testing to Young Latino MSM: Results of a Pilot Study Integrating Outreach and ServicesJournal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 2009
- The Delivery of Public Health Interventions via the Internet: Actualizing Their PotentialAnnual Review of Public Health, 2009
- The Role of the Internet in the Sexual Identity Development of Gay and Bisexual Male AdolescentsPublished by Oxford University Press (OUP) ,2009
- Where Young MSM Meet Their First Sexual Partner: The Role of the InternetAIDS and Behavior, 2007
- Mixed Method Data Collection StrategiesPublished by Cambridge University Press (CUP) ,2006
- Trust and Sources of Health InformationArchives of Internal Medicine, 2005
- The Internet and Social LifeAnnual Review of Psychology, 2004
- AIDS-Related Risk Among Adolescent Males Who Have Sex With Males, Females, or Both: Evidence From a Statewide SurveyAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2002