Websites such as OkCupid and phone apps like Tinder and Grindr allow users to connect with a large and diverse pool of people. But some critics say that while these platforms have expanded options for many people looking for love or sex, it’s also increased public health risk. To some, this raises the question of whether the multi-billion dollar online dating industry should be doing more to encourage safe sex.
Earlier this week, Rhode Island health officials reported that the state has seen an uptick in a number of STDs over the last year, and they believe dating apps are playing a role in this rise. Between 2013 and 2014, the number of people diagnosed in the state with syphilis increased by 79 percent. Rhode Island health officials also say the number of newly diagnosed HIV patients went up 33 percent, and gonorrhea increased by 30 percent in the same year.
Though the state’s health department didn’t release information on the demographics of those diagnosed in that time period, the agency did note in its statement that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men are at highest risk for contracting STDs. This is in line with the most recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which found that men who have sex with men account for three-quarters of all newly diagnosed syphilis cases. Rhode Island’s health department statement also notes that blacks, Hispanics and young people are most vulnerable when it comes to the risk for STDs.