According to the latest statistics, social media apps like Tinder and Grindr have greatly contributed to the current increase in the prevalence of STD’s, registered in Rhode Island. The fact that people are engaging in anonymous sexual relations is putting them at risk of acquiring STD’s.
This study was conducted by the state’s Department of Health and they have pointed out that starting from 2013, around the time when Tinder became a nation-wide success, the number of STD’s has boomed, mirroring the ever-increasing number of the app’s users.
Their findings convey that from 2013 to 2014, Rhode Island has seen a 79% increase in the prevalence of Syphilis, a 30% rise in Gonorrhea cases, and worst of all, a 33% increase in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
“Despite the progress we have made in reducing STDs and HIV over the years, there is more work to do,” said Rhode Island Department of Health representative, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott.”This trend reminds us that we cannot become complacent.”
The Department of Health believes that it is not a mere coincidence that the number of STD cases has boomed around the same time that social media hookup apps have and that they promote promiscuity and irresponsible sexual conduct.
They believe that the continuous renewal of STD awareness campaigns is crucial for the prevalence of these diseases. They plan to enforce bigger and better education programs in schools, so that people know how to protect themselves from a young age.
However, the local findings in Rhode Island are not aligned with the results registered in the studies conducted nationwide by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. These did not corroborate this social media-induced massive increase in STD prevalence.
According to the CDC, there has been no generalized increase in the prevalence of this type of diseases and therefore, these local happenings must be triggered by other more dangerous factors, aside from the social media.
The Rhode Island study is not the first to stick out incriminating numbers so as to shame hookup apps. Previous findings have blamed them for spiking the prevalence of common STD’s such as Chlamydia, Syphilis and Gonorrhea.
Ultimately, while social media apps such as Tinder and Grindr promote a casual approach on sexual relations, that is mostly regarded as promiscuous and irresponsible, there are further factors that are far more dangerous that cause these spikes in the incidence of STDs.
There are basic some basic protection notions that everybody should be aware of in order to stay free of STDs, such as when and how to use a condom, what its limitations are or what the difference between birth control and disease control is. And such notions can only be cemented by continuous campaigns in schools, in the media and at the doctor’s office.
Whether it is a Tinder-generated sexual encounter, one from the midst of a beautiful healthy relationship or an old-fashioned one night stand, the protection rules stay the same. And it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to STDs, no matter what the circumstances of the deed are.
Image Source: recodetech
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