In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and elsewhere around the world, the matter of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has come with a mixed bag of results. Due to educational awareness, public relations campaigns, medical advancements and the population practicing better judgment, significant gains were made regarding the decline of STDs.
STDs Back on the Rise; is Social Media to Blame?
Unfortunately, the war on STDs has experienced a bit of a hiccup, and hookup apps, like Tinder, and social media are the culprits, say U.S. officials in the state of Rhode Island.
According to local reports, the number of cases of STDs is increasing in The Plantation State. Ostensibly, health officials are placing the blame on casual sexual encounters assisted by social media and mobile apps.
The state’s health department reported that syphilis cases are up 79 percent, newly discovered HIV cases have risen 33 percent from 2013 to 2014 and gonorrhea has spiked 30 percent. Moreover, the percentage of STD cases among young adults is growing at a faster pace than the rest of the state’s population.
Health officials posit that the skyrocketing number of STD cases is actually a part of a much larger national trend. One press release notes that these “high-risk behaviors” that are more ubiquitous today are related to individuals “using social media to arrange casual and often anonymous sexual encounters.”
Factors such as maintaining sexual relations with multiple partners, having sex while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and connecting with others without a condom were listed.
“These data send a clear signal that despite the progress we have made in reducing STDs and HIV over the years, there is more work to do,” said Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, Director Designee at HEALTH, in a statement. “We are fortunate in Rhode Island to have great partnerships among state agencies, community-based organizations, and healthcare providers to continue to educate, test, and treat for sexually transmitted diseases. This trend reminds us that we cannot become complacent.”
In addition, officials noted that throughout the 1980s and 1990s, crucial public health initiatives aided in the significant reduction in the transmission of an array of STDs, including routine testing of pregnant women and needle exchange programs.
“These new data underscore the importance of encouraging young people to begin talking to a doctor, nurse, or health educator about sexual health before becoming sexually active and especially after becoming sexually active,” said Rosemary Reilly-Chammat, EdD, RIDE HIV/AIDS Sexuality Specialist, in an additional statement.
The Growth of Online Dating Apps
In recent years, there has been a surge in popularity for online dating applications, like Tinder and Grindr.
The Pew Research Center discovered in a 2013 study that one-fifth of adults have utilized an online dating app or dating website. Also, a majority of people now think online dating is a great method of meeting new people.
Another study – this time conducted by the New York University – found that the popular website Craigslist represented a 16 percent jump in HIV cases between the years 1999 and 2008 throughout 33 states.
Furthermore, Grindr, which is an app for gay men to connect with each other, was responsible for more than half of all syphilis cases in 2012 in the nation of New Zealand, says the Christchurch Sexual Health Clinic.
Media outlets note that neither company has released a comment or responded to these reports.
Final Thoughts
Although these websites and apps are partly to blame for these increases, it is ultimately up to the individual to practice better judgment before initiating any sexual encounters. There are plenty of ways to prevent being diagnosed with an STD is to use condoms, be circumsized, get vaccinated, remain abstinent or be with one partner and/or to limit alcohol intake. We’ve made significant progress in fighting against STDs, why reverse these trends?
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