Stigmatizing and de-Stigmatizing Properties of Web Apps for Sexual Health-Related Conditions: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVE: To review the literature that has examined stigma in relation to the design, impact, and ways web apps can alleviate or aggravate sexual health-related stigma. METHODS: Six databases were searched and 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: While two studies were randomized controlled trials, most studies were descriptive or qualitative. Stigma may be alleviated in web apps through sharing stigma-related experiences, receiving emotional support, and providing anonymous virtual connections Yet, stigma may be aggravated by implied disclosure, inappropriate content, and stigma by association. CONLCUSIONS: While web apps were able to address stigma to some extent, some strategies employed inadvertently aggravated stigma.