Health related aspects of sexual behaviour among internet daters in Slovenia

Kogovšek, Tina (author), Kuhar, Roman (author), Švab, Alenka (author)

Background: The article presents the results of the first sociological study in Slovenia on sexual behaviour of internet daters, with a particular focus on health-related aspects of sexual behaviour. Methods: The sample consists of people who use (have used) Internet dating services. Snow-ball sampling was done through e-mail alerts and by posting banners on Internet dating sites. The data were collected in January and February 2007. The final sample consists of 1349 respondents. Results: The majority of our respondents had either no (44.2%) or few (1 to 5 - 48%) sexual contacts with persons they got to know over the internet. Depending on their sexual orientation, 15 to 40% of men had sex on the first date compared to 7 to 18% of women. One third of heterosexual men and women did not use a condom during their first sexual intercourse with the last person met online. Homosexual men are far more likely to use condoms, as only 17% stated that they did not use a condom, in comparison with heterosexual and bisexual men. Conclusions: Results of the survey show that the time that passes between first on-line contact and first sexual intercourse represents an important indicator of potentially risky sexual behaviour as far as sexual health is concerned. Our data show that this is the case especially for bisexual males. Data on condom use show that the "AIDS era" left a strong impact on the population of homosexual men, who far more often use a condom in comparison with heterosexual and bisexual respondents.

• Language: English
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2013
• Number of pages: Str. 255-262
• Numbering: Letn. 52, št. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-75789
• UDC: 613.88:004.738.5:316.367(479.4)
• ISSN on article: 0351-0026
• DOI: 10.2478/sjph-2013-0026
• COBISS.SI-ID: 32208733
• Publication date in RUL: 21.12.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Zdravstveno varstvo. Slovenian journal of public health
• Publisher: Nacionalni inštitut za javno zdravje, Sciendo
• ISSN: 0351-0026
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3287810

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Z zdravjem povezani vidiki spolnega vedenja ljudi v Sloveniji, ki se prek interneta dogovarjajo za zmenke

Abstract

Izhodišča: V članku predstavljamo izsledke prve sociološke raziskave o spolnem vedenju uporabnikov interneta za internetne zmenke v Sloveniji s posebnim poudarkom na z zdravjem povezanih vidikih spolnega vedenja ljudi, ki se za zmenke dogovarjajo prek interneta. Metode: Vzorec predstavljajo uporabniki internetnih strani za spoznavanje partnerjev. Uporabili smo vzorčenje po metodi snežne kepe prek elektronske pošte in z objavo oglasa na portalih za spoznavanje partnerjev prek interneta. Podatki so bili zbrani v januarju in februarju 2007. Končni vzorec sestavlja 1.349 anketirancev. Rezultati: Večina anketirancev ni imela (44,2%) ali pa je imela majhno število spolnih partnerjev, ki so jih spoznali prek interneta (od 1 do 5 - 48%). Glede na spolno usmerjenost je imelo spolni odnos na prvem zmenku z osebo z interneta od 15 do 40% moških v primerjavi z od 7 do 18% žensk. Tretjina heteroseksualnih moških in žensk pri prvem spolnem odnosu z zadnjo osebo z interneta ni uporabila kondoma. Med uporabniki kondoma pri prvem spolnem odnosu z zadnjo osebo z interneta je največ homoseksualnih moških. Med njimi jih je 17% navedlo, da kondoma niso uporabili. Zaključki: Izsledki raziskave kažejo, da je čas od prvega on-line stika do prvega spolnega odnosa pomemben pokazatelj za zdravje potencialno rizičnega spolnega vedenja. Naši podatki kažejo, da to velja še posebej za biseksualno usmerjene moške. Podatki o uporabi kondoma kažejo, da je "obdobje aidsa" pustilo močen pečat na populacijo homoseksualnih moških, ki v daleč največji meri uporabljajo kondom v primerjavi s heteroseksualno in z biseksualno usmerjenimi anketiranci.