Sexting and sexual behaviour in Australian adolescents.

BACKGROUND
Previous studies have tried to determine the relationship between sexting and risky behaviour to discover whether sexting fits into a deviance or normalcy discourse. This study investigated the relationship between sexting and sexual risk behaviours, contraception use and gender.


METHODS
The design was a cross-sectional analysis of data from the sixth National Survey of Secondary Student and Adolescent Sexual Health, collected in 2018. There were 8263 Australian adolescents (aged 14-18years). Participants were fairly evenly split by gender, and 73% identified as heterosexual. Participants were asked a series of questions about their engagement in sexting, sexual behaviour and sexual health behaviours.


RESULTS
A total of 52% of participants had sent a sext in the previous 2months, with most being text-based sexts. Sexters were 3.29times more likely to have engaged in anal or vaginal intercourse, and 2.88times more likely to have gotten pregnant than non-sexters. Sexters (M=2.76) had significantly more partners than non-sexters (M=2.35), t(3763)=-10.99, P<0.001. There were no significant differences in STI rates, X2(1)=0.38, P=0.535, or contraceptive use based on sexting status.


CONCLUSIONS
Sexters are more likely to have engaged in sexual intercourse and have more partners than non-sexters. Sexting is not strongly associated with other risky behaviours. Evidence for differences between sexters and non-sexters in protecting against STIs and pregnancy was not found, as there were no significant differences in contraceptive use.