.jpg)
With the advent of the mobile phone and the internet, everything has become faster and easier. Grocery shopping gets done with a few taps of the finger. Movies are purchased and watched at a moment’s notice. Even dating has become easier, with some apps asking to swipe left or right on a potential dates profile. With the speed of dating with these apps, conversations that used to be commonplace don’t happen. Experts report that among younger people, there is a noticeable rise in the rates of STD infection as compared to when dating apps were less common. The reasons are complex and are not what you would expect, but they are worth investigating. Here’s what you need to know.
Casual Sex is Not the Issue
Although casual sex is still happening and can still be a way for someone to contract an STD, The American Sociological Association report that rates of casual sex amongst younger adults are downby a significant amount compared to the mid-2000s. One factor is the rise of gaming as a hobby, where men seem to have put some of the energy they were using for casual hookups. So, if casual sex is on the decline, then why is there a rise in STDs? Read on to learn the contributing factors.
Dating Apps Expose Us To Different People
Experts say that it is not the frequency with which sexual encounters occur but the social distance between two people on a dating app. Previously, STD clusters existed in small pockets, such as in one neighborhood or small town. Now, with the dating pool massively increased and broadened, these diseases have a more remarkable ability to travel between disparate groups of people. One outbreak of chlamydia that would have been contained in a world before dating apps existed now has the chance to become a massive problem in many communities.
Shorter Conversations Lead To Less Discussion
As well as bringing different groups together, these conversations are often shorter. Many people speak for less than half an hour. One statistical analysis shows that the average Tinder conversation is two messages long. Over text and in such a small space, people may not feel it’s essential to reveal their STDs to their possible dating partners.
Sexual Education is Lacking
As the leading demographic using dating apps are younger people, much of their sexual knowledge comes from their high school and college education. Experts agree that sexual education is lacking. Many young people are not being taught enough about STDs or are taught falsehoods about sexually transmitted diseases, such as that you can get from using a public toilet or that AIDS is not transmissible during heterosexual sex. Studies show that teenagers who received sexual education between 2015 and 2019 are less informed than people of the same age group who received sexual education in 1995.
A Perfect Storm
Dating apps are bringing to the forefront many issues lying under the surface. Sexually transmitted diseases that previously may have only affected a small town now have a chance to spread through a single hookup to a central metropolitan area. Shorter conversations are leading to less and less disclosure of STDs. Young people, the most likely group to use dating apps, are less informed about STDs than they were two decades ago. With all these factors, it’s no wonder that STD rates are now rising.
We Can Help You With Your STD Case
Did someone you met through a dating app give you an STD, such as herpes, HPV, or HIV? KMD Law can confidentially discuss legal options with you and will aggressively pursue remedies for your situation. We work with our clients to ensure those who’ve harmed them see the consequences of their reckless behavior.
Contact us today at (833) 456-3529 for a free consultation.
