Hooking Up Through Your Phone Greatly Increases Your Chances Of STDs In This State
Casual hookups in general probably aren’t considered the safest sex, and of course not if the sex is unprotected. But a recent surge of HIV, gonorrhea, and syphilis cases left one state scrambling to try to pinpoint the cause in order to educate the public. It turns out the initial medium was something just about everyone has — a cell phone. Does a cell phone give you sexually transmitted diseases? It might not technically, but what people do with their phones very well could.
The Rhode Island Department of Health has announced that reported cases of syphilis have increased by 79 percent, cases of gonorrhea have increased by 30 percent, and newly identified HIV cases have increased by around 33 percent this year, up from cases reported in 2014. The report on syphilis in itself was puzzling, as syphilis has been on the decline in most parts of the country, although gonorrhea continues to increase and HIV goes through periods of increased reports and stabilizing rates.
The HIV and syphilis cases were rising fastest amongst gay and bisexual men, as well as any other men who have sex with men (MSM). Minority groups such as Hispanic and African American men appear to be most at risk, which has been consistent for years, but a new group is emerging as being very at risk: young people who use social media.
Social Media has made it possible for people to meet others they normally wouldn’t, and in some cases, they choose to “hook up” for casual or even anonymous sex. This high-risk sex behavior has been around for a long time in bars, raves, and clubs, but is now becoming quite common through the use of Grindr, Tinder, Blender, and the like — apps that allow people to hook up with ease, without a lot of pretense of getting to know one another or the other’s habits, including how promiscuous they may be. The other issue is, once someone is diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease, it is common for the health department to attempt to locate sexual partners so that they can be treated. With these apps, that is virtually impossible.
A recent study investigating the use of photo-shopped profile pictures when online dating indicates that users of this form of social media may value attractiveness over trustworthiness when it comes to desiring to date someone. This means that people aren’t placing much thought on whether the person is being honest with them about the number, frequency or protection used during past sexual encounters, and may not be asking potential partners if they have been tested for HIV, etc.
Rhode Island is a small state which means one case of a disease could lead to quite a few infected people, which then multiplies exponentially. But don’t assume you’re safe if you live outside of Rhode Island. STDs aren’t worried about state lines. Use protection, and reconsider anonymous and casual sex hook-up sites, or delay sex until you know the person better. Regular testing should be a high priority for anyone who in sexually active and not in a monogamous relationship.
[image by salon]
