New study finds gay and bisexual teens use dating apps to find boyfriends and friends
The study also found that the younger users are more likely to access sexual health services
By Steve Brown
A new study has found gay and bisexual teenagers use adult dating apps to find friends and boyfriends.
The study by Northwestern University found that more than 50 per cent of teenage boy use apps like Grindr and Scruff in an attempt to find more than just sex in a partner.
Using information completed by 200 sexually experienced teenage boys in America, they found the apps aren’t just used for random hook-ups.
Dr Kathryn Macapagal, author of the study, told Chicago Tribune: “We found that teens in this study were super excited that somebody was paying attention with what was going on in their lives and how these apps played a role in their sexual development and coming-out process.
“Youth who use these apps are, many times, also looking for partners on Facebook, Instagram, Tinder… If you’re using something like Grindr, the likelihood of you having a sexual relationship with this person is higher.
“But we also found that although you might have had sexual relations with these folks, these folks might have turned into friends, they might have turned into boyfriends.
“So there is some evidence that youth are getting lots more out of these apps than just sexual relationships.”
The study also found that the teenagers using these apps are more likely to access sexual health services.
Macapagal continued: “Gay and bisexual adolescent boys account for almost two-thirds of HIV infections among teenagers in the United States, but unfortunately sex education and HIV prevention tailored to their needs is almost non-existent.
“The sooner we understand the role these apps play in the lives of gay and bisexual teen guys, the sooner we will be able to tailor sex education and HIV prevention efforts for this population and help them live healthier lives.”