Young People’s Trust in Digital Sexual Healthcare: A Narrative Review

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Objectives Trust has been identified as a key factor associated with supporting access to sexual health interventions and digital healthcare. We aimed to explore and synthesize factors that may cultivate trust for young people (10–24-year-old) when accessing digital sexual healthcare. Methods A total of 5950 articles were extracted from 5 databases (Scopus, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL) and independently assessed for relevance by two researchers. Trust descriptions were analyzed using a narrative synthesis approach, extracted tabularly and synthesized into themes through conceptual mapping. Results Thirteen papers between 2011 and 2021 from the United States (n = 5), Australia (n = 3), United Kingdom (n = 2), Canada (n = 2), and Netherlands (n = 1) were reviewed. Young people (n = 462), varying in gender identity and sexuality, were aged between 14 and 29 years old. Four areas cultivating trust in digital sexual healthcare were described: (1) Esthetics, language, tone: Trusted digital sexual healthcare was easy to navigate, had limited sexually explicit content or pop-up ads, was not overly teen-friendly and used a professional tone and language, reflecting communication reportedly expected from healthcare providers. (2) Privacy, anonymity, safety: Safety features that preserved young people’s anonymity were important for their trust, particularly amid fear of shame or stigma. (3) Authors’ expertise, authenticity, reputation: Personal accounts online which reflected the young person’s own lived experience were trusted for topics considered subjective (e.g., dating and relationships). (4) Consistency: Cross-checking personal accounts and scientific information to confirm the consistency of content helped with young people’s evaluation of trust. Conclusions Considering the factors cultivating trust when designing digital sexual health interventions may improve access and use. However, given the nuance in lived experience and needs, young people should be meaningfully engaged in the design of digital sexual health interventions. Particularly as sexual health intervention and resources are increasingly being delivered and accessed online by young people.