The intersectional social patterning of early-Covid-era digital intimacies among transgender and gender-diverse young adults

Effects on peri-pandemic sexual decision-making

Bibliographic Data

ID15099596
AuthorsSimone J Skeen (0000-0003-0631-4003, Tulane University, corresponding author), Demetria Cain (0000-0002-9360-9928, Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA), Kripa Mehta (Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA), Joshua A Rusow (0000-0002-5093-5862, Friends Research Institute, Inc, Los Angeles, CA, USA), Keith J Horvath (0000-0001-7569-2839, San Diego State University), Cathy J Reback (0000-0003-4375-7452, Friends Research Institute, Inc, Los Angeles, CA, USA)
Year2024
Volume26
Issue9
Pages1149-1166
Publication date2024-09-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCulture Health & Sexuality (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1369-1058 • E-ISSN: 1464-5351
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13691058.2024.2302054
PMID38265927
OpenAlexW4391166834
LanguageEN
References cited40

Interactive communications technologies facilitate identity formation and socio-sexual connection among transgender and gender-diverse young people. However, within their communities, variations in technology use along ethno-racial, sexual and gendered lines, and as facilitators of sexual resilience during the early COVID-19 pandemic, remain under-studied. Among N = 230 transgender and gender-diverse young adults, surveyed between October 2020 and September 2021, latent class analyses characterised participants by preferred functional affordances, such as finding dates, sex and friends (Model 1), and by simultaneous account-keeping across social, dating and ‘hookup’ apps (Model 2). Werron and Ringel’s typology of pandemic practices characterised qualitative descriptions of sexual decision-making attributed to COVID-19. Both fit indices favoured two-class solutions. Model 1 detected an n = 89, 43% ‘high interactive communications technologies–enabled intimacy’ (versus ‘low technology-enabled intimacy’) class, in which digitally mediated friendships, dates, sexual encounters and gay/lesbian sexualities, predominated. An n = 38, 17% ‘high socio-sexual polymedia’ (versus ‘low polymedia’) class in Model 2 was characterised by simultaneous social media, ‘hookup’ and dating app usage. ‘High’ subgroups saw statistically significant reductions in sexual partners, with the high polymedia class also associated with reductions in HIV testing. Qualitative results contextualised these reductions as, predominantly, ‘responsive’ pandemic practices: reactions to stay-at-home orders

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Intersectionality · Pandemic · Peri · Sociology · Transgender · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Medicine · Psychology · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Media and Politics · Virology

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