Rise in the use of technology in day to day life has brought life to ease with many manual things are being taken care of by the technology. But there will always a debate if the technology brings with them the unnecessary problem as its byproduct to easiness. Dating apps, for instance, had made it possible to look out for the dates not only locally but also around the city. It became a matter of few clicks to find a date using the dating apps. But there is a catch to it. Scientists believe the recent rise in the STD rates among youth is due to the fact that dating apps are being used not only for dating but for other purposes, including casual sex, hookups etc.
According to the latest CDC report STD rates have skyrocketed in the U.S. over the decade, but it can be seen a steep rise in the last four years.
While some of the new cases could be attributed to better testing, officials for the first time said STD rates were rising because of certain high-risk behaviors, including using online dating sites “to arrange casual and often anonymous sexual encounters.” Doctors suspect it’s down to more people using dating apps to meet for unprotected sex.
Let’s take a look at the factors that can cause a rise in the STDs by the use of Dating Apps
1. Dating Apps for casual encounters
Problems with the dating apps are that people get to see so many profiles that they left with many choices on selecting the partner. Thus the partner selection process loses its seriousness and thus causing casual meet up. Casual encounter leads to causal dating and may even lead to casual sex. People are just living for the thrill of it, just that sexual experience and done, no consequences, no remorse. But what new statistics showing sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise across the country. Predominantly, some people have started using dating apps for casual sex. This also leads to the possibility where partners are selected on the bases of their appearances, personality, and social quotient.
2. Stranger’s Profile
In the dating world, you see the information of the person fed by the person himself. You cannot expect that person to tell you his.her sexual health, his/her number of partners in past, his medical history etc. So imagine the risk you carry of contracting an STD when you search partners for casual sexual encounter. It just not about the risk of STD, its always risky to get laid down with a stranger unaware of his intentions beyond casual sex.
3. Multiple dating partners
As mentioned earlier, dating apps gives literally hundreds of options resulting in the casual approach, which can lead to multiple dating partners or multiple casual sex partners. Thereby increasing the odds of STD like herpes, chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV etc.
4. The notion that most of the STDs can be cured.
This problem has to do more with being a teenager than a dating app user. Most of the youth, who is unaware of the consequences of being contracted by STDs are in the notion that most of the STDs can be cured. According to them, it is ok, until and unless it’s not HIV/AIDS. Although there are some STDs like Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis etc which can be cured using medication, they can cause serious to permanent damage like loss of fertility, brain problems in case of Syphilis etc. Besides, non-curable STDs such as Herpes, Hepatitis B, C can also be fatal and HIV/AIDS can be life-threatening.
Also read: How Gonnorhea is developing the resistance to antibiotics to slowly becoming a superbug.
5. Failing to get tested for STD
This may sound surprising but at least 1 in 3 fail to get tested for STD. This is due to many reasons like lack of sexual education, confidentiality issues, while some people have no access to or couldn’t afford the STD testing cost.
Dating app users fall prey to the asymptomatic nature of STD. As STDs like Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis(initial stage) show no signs of STD on the body. The casual sex encounter with multiple partners in a shorter span of time just adds fuel to increase in the number of infected people.
6. No records available
After having a casual sexual encounter with the person, if a person develops certain symptoms of STD, there is no way to contact your partner(past) if they are later to diagnosed with an infection. These dating apps just end up in horrible dates and greater expectations with participants looking at other people in a very shallow way. Users delete the partner’s profiles afterward, preventing them from warning if they are later diagnosed with an infection.
Most of the users use dating apps for seeking casual sex and finding a date is not really the primary motto.(dating apps are used by so many people for one reason only you know what that is they can be used dates can happen and then blocked after one night of fun it’s
Dating apps entirely focused on appearance and image and people desperately trying to look good, regardless of their sexual or even physical health. The problem is not limited to urban areas, in the survey it has been found that rural areas such as Maricopa County, Cole County, Corpus Christi, Kern County, Clare County etc. too faced the rise in STD rate due to dating apps.
Not good for mental health either. A study of American psychological research found that the leading dating app users have a low level of satisfaction with their faces and bodies and have a lower level of self-esteem than the men and women who did not use Tinder.
How can we possibly reduce the spread STD?
We listed the problems caused in the sexual health due to the use of dating apps. Now, let’s find out the ways in which they can be tackled.
Trying good old days techniques to find a date: Its slow, its sluggish but its safe. Good old methods of finding a date may be through some common friend may be the right choice. You may be at-least assured of the person’s past, his behavior his background to some extent.
Date the person you know: Maybe your classmate or somebody at your workplace, someone you may have known to be a good person. Be open and try to know the sexual health of the person in advance, before having sex with that person.
Always Use protection, contraceptive pills: Use of Condoms, contraceptive pills should be a must during the act.
Get tested regularly: If you are sexually active, Get tested for STD once in 3 months in the nearby STD testing center or whenever you notice something unusual sign or skin rash or marks on your body.
