DIGISEX
Digital Technology and Adolescent Sexual Health
DIGISEX is a research project research by the Institute for Culture and Society the University of Navarra and funded by the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) that seeks to better understand how certain digital habits and experiences related to sexuality, romantic relationships, and well-being are linked to the lives of adolescents.
Adolescence is a particularly important stage forstaff, emotional, and socialstaff. During these years, habits, values, and ways of interacting with others take root, which can influence short- and long-term health and well-being. At the same time, the internet and digital technologies are part of the daily lives of internship , offering opportunities for learning and social interaction, but also presenting new educational and health challenges.
The project was launched with the purpose gaining a better understanding of this issue and providing scientific evidence to help families, educators, health professionals, and policymakers make more informed decisions.
Generational Shift
DIGISEX aims to conduct a rigorous study that will provide a better understanding of the current reality of Spanish adolescents.
Today's teenagers have grown up in a a digital environment very different from that of previous generations. Social media, smartphones, video platforms, and other online spaces are part of their daily lives and can influence the way they stay informed, interact with others, and form their view of themselves and others.
Among the types of content to which some teenagers may be exposed are those related to sexuality and the romantic relationships. Although there is growing scientific interest in understanding the impact that such content (e.g., pornography) may have on development , there are still many unanswered questions, especially in programs of study in Spain that allow for an analysis of how these phenomena have evolved over time.
Project's goals
The goal is to analyze how certain digital habits and experiences related to sexuality and romantic relationships are associated with adolescents’ health and well-being. Specifically, the study aims to:
Gaining a better understanding of teenagers' digital habits.
To analyze the relationship between exhibition certain online content and various indicators of well-being.
To study personal, family, and social factors that may act as protective or risk factors.
To generate knowledge for the development educational and preventive strategies based on scientific evidence.
What topics are covered?
The questionnaire various aspects of adolescents' lives, including:
*You can access the survey here.
Methodology
DIGISEX is a longitudinal study conducted with high school diploma students high school diploma from Spanish schools.
Participants will complete an questionnaire at two different times, approximately 12 months apart, during their first and second years of high school.
This design analyze how certain habits, attitudes, and experiences evolve during a particularly significant stage of development .
Participation is entirely voluntary, and responses are anonymous.
Ethical Commitment
The protection of participants is a key priority of project.
The study has been reviewed and C the committee the University of Navarra.
Participation is voluntary, and students are free to decide whether or not they wish to participate. In addition, they may leave questions unanswered or exit the questionnaire any time.
Responses are anonymous, and the results will be analyzed solely in aggregate form for scientific purposes.
You can download the Information and Consent Formfor Families download .
Impact
The results of DIGISEX will help improve knowledge about the digital, emotional, and sexual realities of adolescents in Spain.
This knowledge the development of evidence-based recommendations and resources for families, schools, health professionals, and those responsible for prevention programs, with the goal promote that support the development of young people.
Calatrava, M., Mestre-Bach, G., Osorio, A., & López-del Burgo, C. (2025)
Parenting Style, Differentiation of Self, and Pornography Use Among Adolescents: Exploring the Links. The Journal of Sex Research
Calatrava, M., Beltramo, C., Osorio, A., Rodríguez-González, M., de Irala, J., & López-del Burgo, C. (2021)
eligiosity and Sexual Initiation Among Hispanic Adolescents: The Role of Sexual Attitudes. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 715032
Osorio, A., López-del Burgo, C., Carlos, S., & de Irala, J. (2017)
The Sooner, the Worse? Association between Earlier Age of Sexual Initiation and Worse Adolescent Health and Well-being Outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1298
Albertos, A., Osorio, A., López-del Burgo, C., Carlos, S., Beltramo, C., & Trullols, F. (2016)
Brief report: Feasibility of a mindfulness- and self-compassion-based mobile intervention for adolescents. Parental knowledge and adolescents’ risk behaviors. Journal of Adolescence, 53, 231–236
Osorio, A., López-del Burgo, C., Ruiz-Canela, M., Carlos, S., & de Irala, J. (2015)
Safe-sex beliefs and sexual risk behaviors among adolescents from three developing countries: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 5(4), e007826
De Irala, J., Osorio, A., Ruiz-Canela, M., Carlos, S., & López-del Burgo, C. (2014)
Informing youth about the age of sexual initiation using means or percentages. Health Communication, 29(6), 629–633
Osorio, A., López-del Burgo, C., Carlos, S., Ruiz-Canela, M., Delgado, M., & de Irala, J. (2012)
Knowledge of Medical Abortion Among Adolescent Healthcare Providers. First sexual intercourse and subsequent regret in three developing countries. Journal of Adolescent Health, 50(3), 271–278
De Irala, J., Osorio, A., Carlos, S., Ruiz-Canela, M., & López-del Burgo, C. (2011)
Mean age of first sexual intercourse: Do they know what we mean? Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 853–855
Benefits for the school educational
Participating schools will receive a summary of the “ report ” containing the key findings from the study that are relevant to the school’s educational initiatives.
Schools that meet a minimum of 30 Students participating in both waves will be eligible to receive a financial financial aid (300€) intended to compensate them for the organizational tasks involved in their partnership in the study.
Any center member who has at least 30 students participating in both rounds will be able to take our course for free Diploma Expert in affectivity and sexuality (an online course that costs €948).
In addition, any school that requests it may receive guidance from a researcher to implement its sexual Education and risk behavior prevention program.
How to participate
1. Appoint a contact person contact will serve as link your institution and the researcher team.
2. Please let us know if you are interested in participating by emailing digisex@unav.es.
3. Inform the families. To help you do this, we suggest using this model as a template for a letter to families.
4. Collect parental consent forms (either through the Google Form we’ve provided or on paper by printing this document) and compile a list of students whose parents or legal guardians have authorized their participation.
5. Before administering the questionnaire, inform the students of:
· The general objectives of the study.
· Participation is voluntary. You may choose not to participate, even if you have parental consent.
· You may stop filling out the questionnaire any time without having to provide an explanation.
6. Keep the list of authorized students for at least 12 months so that the same participants can be invited again to the second assessment, scheduled for the following academic year. This list will remain exclusively at the educational institution. The researcher team will researcher have access to this information. The contact person contact manager safeguarding it.
7. Let us know that your students have participated by sending us another email at digisex@unav.es.
More information
1. Only authorized students who wish to participate voluntarily may enter the conference room .
2. The survey conducted during regular schedule , in a conference room or using devices provided by the school (e.g., tablets).
3. Before beginning, students will read an informational screen that explains:
• The purpose of the study.
• The voluntary nature of participation.
• The anonymity of the responses.
• The option to exit the survey any time.
4. Students will complete the questionnaire individually and questionnaire their own.
5. The estimated duration is less than 30 minutes.
The presence of a teacher or staff member staff school serves solely for organizational purposes and to provide general supervision of classroom.
During the administration of the questionnaire:
• You should not look at the students' answers.
• You should not walk around the booths looking at the screens.
• You should not answer questions related to the survey's content.
• It should not influence the decision to participate or not to participate.
Their role will consist solely of:
• Troubleshoot basic technical issues.
• Maintain a positive work environment.
• Ensure the normal development business.
• The questionnaire ask for first names, last names, email addresses, or other direct identifiers.
• The researcher team will researcher know the participants' identities.
• In order to link the responses from the first and second waves, the questionnaire a section titled "Questions for anonymously matching participants," which allows for the generation of a matching code without identifying the student.
Approximately 12 months after the first assessment, the researcher team researcher the participating centers again to collect the second set of data.
Only students authorized to participate in Wave 1 may fill in Wave 2 survey .
The administration will follow the same procedure in this guide.
• Computer, tablet, or device with internet access.
• An up-to-date web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari).
• A stable internet connection.
• A screen and keyboard that allow you to comfortably answer the questionnaire.
No additional software needs to be installed.
Team
project by researchers at the University of Navarra who specialize in adolescent health, epidemiology, Education behavioral sciences.
Principal Investigators:
researcher team researcher the University of Navarra:
researcher team:
Funding: