Abstract

ROJAS QUINTERO, Gabriela De Los Angeles et al. Sexting practice, risks and consequences from the perspective of first-year students of the School of Medicine, University of Carabobo, 2024. e-Rev. Multidiscip. Saber [online]. 2025, vol.3, e-RMS06122025.  Epub Mar 17, 2026. ISSN 2960-2467.  https://doi.org/10.61286/e-rms.v3i.317.

The phenomenon of sexting involves the transition from the intimate to the visible without limits, generating pleasure but exposing privacy online. It is not limited to sending and receiving sexual content; it also encompasses forwarding and transmitting it to third parties. This study evaluates the practice of sexting, its risks, and consequences from the perspective of first-year medical students at the University of Carabobo in 2024. It is an observational-descriptive, field-based, and cross-sectional study. The sample was non-probabilistic, purposive, and voluntary, consisting of 125 students who met the established criteria. Data was collected through a survey using a mixed instrument comprised of a registration form and a questionnaire with 13 closed-ended questions. The most frequent age was 17-18 years (41.60%), with a predominance of females (60%) and residents of Naguanagua (25.60%). 41.60% practiced the Catholic religion, and 40.80% did not practice any religion. WhatsApp was the most used social network (56%). Sixty percent began sexting between the ages of 14 and 17, primarily for fun (23.2%), sharing photos (39.2%) with their partner (44.8%). Eighty-six point four percent considered sexting to incite in-person sexual encounters; 55.2% expressed concern about publication without consent; 56.8% feared rejection from close friends and family; 52.8% feared ridicule from peers; and 54.4% feared future professional repercussions. The majority of students who engage in sexting were 17-18 year old female Catholics from Naguanagua, who began the practice between the ages of 14 and 17, mainly for fun with their partner, using WhatsApp.

Keywords : sexting; privacy; adolescents; WhatsApp; risks; medical students.

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