“We have to figure it out ourselves”: Transfeminine adolescents’ online sexual experiences and recommendations for supporting their sexual health and wellbeing
The internet plays a significant role in adolescent sexual development. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents are more likely than their cisgender, heterosexual peers to use online spaces for sexual and romantic purposes, as they may have a smaller pool of potential partners and more concerns...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Reproductive Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frph.2022.1034747/full |
| _version_ | 1828063289777586176 |
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| author | Claire A. Coyne Claire A. Coyne Val Wongsomboon Aaron K. Korpak Aaron K. Korpak Kathryn Macapagal Kathryn Macapagal Kathryn Macapagal |
| author_facet | Claire A. Coyne Claire A. Coyne Val Wongsomboon Aaron K. Korpak Aaron K. Korpak Kathryn Macapagal Kathryn Macapagal Kathryn Macapagal |
| author_sort | Claire A. Coyne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The internet plays a significant role in adolescent sexual development. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents are more likely than their cisgender, heterosexual peers to use online spaces for sexual and romantic purposes, as they may have a smaller pool of potential partners and more concerns about the risks of in-person partner seeking. Among SGM adolescents, gender identity may shape how youth navigate online spaces for sexual purposes but there is limited research focused on transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adolescents’ online partner seeking. Previous research has focused on cisgender gay and bisexual boys’ experiences with sexual networking applications designed for adult men who have sex with men. This perspective article integrates clinical expertise and survey data from transfeminine adolescents (N = 21) in the United States reporting their online sexual behavior and experiences. We use qualitative data to describe the sexual health, safety, and wellbeing of transfeminine adolescents and offer suggestions for clinical assessment of online versus offline sexual activity and call for inclusive sexual health resources for transfeminine adolescents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:41:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ab65a9f77c7b4bdba92f6d162d9f1ee4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-3153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:41:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Reproductive Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-ab65a9f77c7b4bdba92f6d162d9f1ee42023-01-16T04:48:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Reproductive Health2673-31532023-01-01410.3389/frph.2022.10347471034747“We have to figure it out ourselves”: Transfeminine adolescents’ online sexual experiences and recommendations for supporting their sexual health and wellbeingClaire A. Coyne0Claire A. Coyne1Val Wongsomboon2Aaron K. Korpak3Aaron K. Korpak4Kathryn Macapagal5Kathryn Macapagal6Kathryn Macapagal7The Potocsnak Family Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Chicago, IL, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United StatesInstitute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United StatesInstitute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United StatesDepartment of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United StatesInstitute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United StatesDepartment of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United StatesThe internet plays a significant role in adolescent sexual development. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents are more likely than their cisgender, heterosexual peers to use online spaces for sexual and romantic purposes, as they may have a smaller pool of potential partners and more concerns about the risks of in-person partner seeking. Among SGM adolescents, gender identity may shape how youth navigate online spaces for sexual purposes but there is limited research focused on transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adolescents’ online partner seeking. Previous research has focused on cisgender gay and bisexual boys’ experiences with sexual networking applications designed for adult men who have sex with men. This perspective article integrates clinical expertise and survey data from transfeminine adolescents (N = 21) in the United States reporting their online sexual behavior and experiences. We use qualitative data to describe the sexual health, safety, and wellbeing of transfeminine adolescents and offer suggestions for clinical assessment of online versus offline sexual activity and call for inclusive sexual health resources for transfeminine adolescents.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frph.2022.1034747/fulladolescent sexual behavioronline partner seekingsocial mediatransgendergender minoritytransfeminine |
| spellingShingle | Claire A. Coyne Claire A. Coyne Val Wongsomboon Aaron K. Korpak Aaron K. Korpak Kathryn Macapagal Kathryn Macapagal Kathryn Macapagal “We have to figure it out ourselves”: Transfeminine adolescents’ online sexual experiences and recommendations for supporting their sexual health and wellbeing Frontiers in Reproductive Health adolescent sexual behavior online partner seeking social media transgender gender minority transfeminine |
| title | “We have to figure it out ourselves”: Transfeminine adolescents’ online sexual experiences and recommendations for supporting their sexual health and wellbeing |
| title_full | “We have to figure it out ourselves”: Transfeminine adolescents’ online sexual experiences and recommendations for supporting their sexual health and wellbeing |
| title_fullStr | “We have to figure it out ourselves”: Transfeminine adolescents’ online sexual experiences and recommendations for supporting their sexual health and wellbeing |
| title_full_unstemmed | “We have to figure it out ourselves”: Transfeminine adolescents’ online sexual experiences and recommendations for supporting their sexual health and wellbeing |
| title_short | “We have to figure it out ourselves”: Transfeminine adolescents’ online sexual experiences and recommendations for supporting their sexual health and wellbeing |
| title_sort | we have to figure it out ourselves transfeminine adolescents online sexual experiences and recommendations for supporting their sexual health and wellbeing |
| topic | adolescent sexual behavior online partner seeking social media transgender gender minority transfeminine |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frph.2022.1034747/full |
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