COVID-19-related changes in college students’ romantic relationships, hooking up, and sexual risk avoidance: a within-person approach

Emerging adulthood is an important time for the development of romantic relationships and sexual intimacy, with significant potential to impact individuals’ health and well-being. Addressing a notable research gap, the current longitudinal study tested the role of COVID-19 in emerging adult college students’ romantic and sexual experiences. Surveys completed by 280 U.S.-based college students (aged 18-21 at baseline) both before and after the onset of COVID-19 were utilized to test potential changes in emerging adults’ romantic relationships, hooking up, and sexual risk avoidance following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from within-person analyses indicated significant declines in hooking up frequency, as well as in expressed confidence in avoiding risky sex, from pre-COVID to during-COVID periods. No reliable COVID-related changes were observed in romantic relationship status, reported levels of relationship support (among those in the same relationship), or hooking up endorsement. Examining participant sex as a moderator of these direct changes yielded no reliable findings. This study offers within-person insights into pandemic-related changes in college students’ romantic relationships and sexual behavior, and encourages further attention to relational experiences with implications for health (e.g. lack of confidence in avoiding risky sex) during the pandemic and beyond.