Intimacy during the COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey examining the impact of COVID-19 on the sexual practices and dating app usage of people living in Hong Kong

Background. Little attention has been paid to understanding the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on sexual practices and dating app usage among the Chinese population. To fill this gap, we examined the sexual practices and dating app usage of Hong Kong residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method. An online survey was developed to collect data, and the participants were recruited via online social media. The respondents were asked to report on their sexual practices and dating app usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results. In total, 249 participants met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. We found that more than 70% of the participants began masturbating more. Almost half of the participants reported decreases in various sexual activities with sexual partners, including vaginal, anal and oral sex. The vast majority of the study participants also reported a decline in sexual activities with casual partners, regular non-romantic partners and sex workers. Meanwhile, dating apps were used more frequently for chatting/texting, swapping photos, sexting and virtual dating. More than 50% of the participants reported less use of dating apps for face-to-face dates and sexual encounters. Conclusion. It is evident that the COVID-19 pandemic and its corresponding public health measures impacted the sexual practices and dating app usage of Hong Kong residents.