Dating apps are facing scrutiny in Hawaii after STD rates reached a 30 year high on the island.
The state recorded 7,732 cases of chlamydia, 1,496 cases of gonorrhea, and 180 cases of syphilis in 2018, a rise of more than 100% from figures recorded 10 years previously.
Local health officials have highlighted the rise of online dating products as a possible cause, linking them to unsafe sex.
Gerald Hasty, a program coordinator for the state’s Department of Health, said to the Honolulu Star Advertiser: “As people rely on digital means of making connections it can lead to circumstances where they might be more exposed to infection without them knowing it. More partners, more chances to get infections.”
Other factors could also be contributing to the rise in STDs. New methods of birth control may lead singles to use less protection, and better treatments may have caused an increase in reporting rates.
Earlier this month, a University of California academic told MedicalResearch.com that male users of Grindr tended to exhibit more risky sexual behaviour than the general gay population.
They were also more likely than the general population to use pre-exposure prophylaxis to lower the risk of contracting HIV, however.
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