Swipe right for public health: Can dating apps promote sexual health? A case study and multi-sectoral perspectives

Abstract

The high rates of HIV/STI transmission experienced by men who have sex with men (MSM) is a public health problem that involves individual behaviors, structural factors, stigma, and several stakeholders. Over recent years, dating apps have emerged as one of these stakeholders, but the role that they play remains understudied. This thesis focuses on two objectives: 1) understanding the perspectives of leaders from different sectors on the role that dating apps play in this public health problem; and 2) exploring the utilization of dating apps as platforms that could potentially improve the sexual health of MSM. The first part of the thesis reviews how public health research has studied dating app use, as well as some of the health promotion efforts undertaken by dating apps. The second part is an exploratory qualitative study of the views of leaders from four sectors (health care providers, public health, sexual wellbeing and dating apps) on the role that dating apps play in sexual health. The third part is a case study of a peer-led program developed at Fenway Health in Boston, MA, to provide sexual health information to users of gay dating apps and connect them to sexual health services. The thesis has three major findings. The first is that there is a deep sense of mistrust and antagonism among public health organizations, health care providers, and dating apps. The second is that there is a misalignment of incentives across these sectors that makes it difficult for them to collaborate to improve the sexual health of MSM. A third finding is that peer education and outreach programs in dating apps are effective in connecting MSM to sexual health services, and the impact of such programs can be tracked easily. However, these types of programs are not currently allowed or supported by dating apps. Despite these challenges, the thesis concludes that there are opportunities for these sectors to align incentives through the development of innovative multi-stakeholder collaborations. These types of collaborations could offer new and promising approaches to using dating apps as a means to reduce transmission of HIV/STIs among MSM.