Tinder is to blame for a significant rise in the number of STIs, the Department of Health of an American state has claimed. Tinder and other casual dating apps are behind a significant rise in sexually transmitted infections, according to a Department of Health.
Cases of syphilis in Rhode Island grew by 79 per cent between 2013 and 2014, alongside a 30 per cent increase in gonorrhea infections and a 33 per cent rise in HIV case. Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) leads the state’s effort to reduce infectious disease and support a healthier state. To alert Rhode Islanders of the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HEALTH released data showing that the rates of HIV and several other STDs are increasing. In Rhode Island, from 2013 to 2014:
The number of infectious syphilis cases increased by 79%. The number of gonorrhea cases increased by 30%. The number of newly-identified HIV cases increased by nearly 33%. New cases of HIV/AIDS and infectious syphilis continued to increase among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men at a faster rate than in other populations. Infection rates of all STDs continued to have a greater impact on the African-American, Hispanic, and young adult populations.
“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. “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.”
This is not the first time parallels have been drawn between the increase in use of casual dating apps and a rise in STIs. Gay men using apps to find partners were more likely to have gonorrhea and Chlamydia than those who met online or in clubs, according to a study in Los Angeles in June 2014.
“Technology is redefining sex on demand,” the report concluded. “Advances which improve the efficiency of meeting anonymous sexual partners may have the unintended effect of creating networks of individuals where users may be more likely to have sexually transmissible infections.” A 2013 study by New York University found US site Craigslist was behind a 16 per cent rise in HIV cases across 33 states between 1999 and 2008.
