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Tinder, Grinder and other dating websites and apps are to blame for the spike in sexually transmitted diseases according to Rhode Island’s Health Department.
Officials from the Department of Health have stated that the number of citizens infected with sexually transmitted diseases experienced a surge. At the same time, Rhode Island’s case is not singular. A national trend is ensuing and hookup apps are to blame for it.
Statistics released by the Department of Health showcase a surge in syphilis alone of up to 79 percent between 2013 and 2014. HIV infections increased by 33 percent, whereas gonorrhea saw a spike of 30 percent during the same period. Young adults are at a higher risk than the rest of the population, due to their savvy use of social media and hookup apps.
Of course, this entails that beyond posing a social connecting means, dating websites and hookup app the likes of Tinder and Grinder suppose arranging casual and anonymous sexual encounters. For the general health of the population this represents a high-risk behavior.
The casual and anonymous sexual encounters pose an even higher risk for both gay and bisexual men. The statistics presented African-American, Hispanic following closely in line. Under the casualty and anonymity and supposedly a higher degree of comfort offered by social media sites hides a great risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
In 2013, a study coming from the New York University revealed that Craigslist arranged dates were responsible for a 16 percent spike in HIV cases present in 33 states over the period between 1999 and 2008. That should be a compelling argument for precaution and awareness.
Grinder was the star of another case of sexually transmitted diseases in New Zealand. In 2012, the Christchurch Sexual Health Clinic revealed that in 2012, 50 percent of the syphilis cases were due to hookups on Grinder.
“These new data underscore the importance of encouraging young people to begin talking to a doctor, nurse, or health educator about sexual health,” said Rosemary Reilly-Chammat, an HIV/AIDS sexuality specialist for the Rhode Island Department of Education.
Indeed, education, alongside routine testing features on the list of priorities of the Department of Health. Officials are looking into means of further and more efficiently promoting both free and less costly testing services.
At the same time the Department of Education plans to make sexual health education more accessible to high-school students to increase awareness and promote prevention practices.
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