Original article
Assessing Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction in Adolescent Relationships Formed Online and Offline

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.09.027Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

Using the Internet to meet new people is becoming more common; however, such behavior is often considered risky, particularly for adolescents. Nevertheless, adolescents are meeting people through online venues and some are forming romantic/sexual relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship and sexual satisfaction reported by teens in online- and offline-initiated relationships.

Methods

Data were collected from 273 13–19 year olds visiting a publicly funded clinic through 2010 and 2011. Questions included where respondents met the partner (online vs. offline), time between meeting and first sex, how well they knew the partner, and relationship and sexual (R&S) satisfaction. Analyses consisted of descriptive statistics, t tests, and path analysis, exploring R&S satisfaction in online- and offline-initiated relationships.

Results

R&S satisfaction scores were moderate for adolescents who reported meeting partners online and in person but were statistically higher in offline-initiated relationships. There was an inverse relationship between having an online partner and both relationship and sexual satisfaction. Additionally, knowing partners for a longer period of time and feeling more knowledgeable about partners before having sex were statistically significantly related to higher R&S satisfaction.

Conclusions

Teens in this study reported more satisfying relationships with partners met offline compared with online. Results suggest that encouraging teens to wait longer and to get to know their partner(s) better before engaging in sex may improve satisfaction with, and quality of, those relationships. These findings provide an important contribution to sexual health promotion among young people, with whom technology use is ubiquitous.

Section snippets

Adolescents and the internet

In an exploration of contemporary adolescent relationships, we cannot ignore one ubiquitous method of communicating and connecting with others–use of the Internet and social networking sites (SNSs). Adolescents are among the earliest adopters and most engaged users of the Internet and spend much of their time communicating through SNSs (e.g., Facebook), instant messaging, chat (e.g., Snapchat, WeChat) and other sharing applications (e.g., Instagram), and blogs [19], [20]. Along with instant

Methods

Data were collected through an audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) as part of a larger study surveying 13–19 year olds visiting a publicly funded clinic in Florida [30]. The purposes of the larger study were to examine the prevalence of online sex seeking and online sexual partnership development among adolescents; to explore the differences in sexual health profiles between teens who do and do not report meeting sex partners via the Internet; and to gather perspectives about

Results

Within this clinic sample of adolescents seeking sexual health care, almost all participants reported engaging in vaginal sex (97.8%), slightly fewer reported oral sex (88.6%), and just over one quarter reported ever engaging in anal sex (28.6%). Differences in sexual health profiles of participants reporting online- and offline-initiated sexual partnerships are described elsewhere [30].

Relatively few (15.4%) participants reported meeting a person online with whom they later had sex offline. Of

Discussion

This study provides preliminary information about relationship and sexual satisfaction among adolescents presenting for sexual health care and examines the differences in satisfaction between their sexual relationships initiated online versus offline. Overall, we found these adolescents reported high levels of sexual and relationship satisfaction in their experiences, although teens reporting their experiences with sex partners met offline showed higher levels of satisfaction compared with

Funding Sources

This research was supported by an American Sexually Transmitted Disease Association (ASTDA) Developmental Award.

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