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dating apps and STDs

By: Karen Terry

October 5, 2022

Dating Apps and STDs: Is There a Connection?

Swipe left, swipe right. In a world where finding new sexual encounters is as simple as tapping your smartphone, is there a connection between dating apps and STDs?

All signs point to yes. The rise of hookup culture has corresponded to an increase in national STD rates.

With STDs on the rise, you can protect yourself by getting tested regularly. You can order same-day STD testing from the Rapid STD Testing website, and you'll have confidential results in one to three days. Don't worry; it's easier than you think.

Please keep reading for more information about dating apps, how they've changed the way people hook up, and whether there really is a connection between the spread of STDs and online dating sites.

What Are Dating Apps, and How Do They Work?

If you've never used a dating app, most apps generally work the same way: You sign up, create a profile and bio, and then connect with potential partners online.

In 1959, two Stanford students used an IBM 650 mainframe computer and punch-card questionnaire to match 49 women and 49 men. A few decades later, in 1995, Match.com became the world's first online dating site.

While sites like Match.com and eHarmony usually focus more on connecting people for long-term relationships, dating apps like Tinder and Grindr are more hookup-oriented. Of course, some people are looking for long-term relationships, but most are looking for a casual partner and nothing more.

Tinder

Tinder is the most popular dating app among Millennials and Gen Z. For example, 60% of Tinder users are less than 34 years old, with 35% of users aged 18-24 and 25% aged 25-34.

A whopping 75% of Tinder users are male. Plus, it's the most popular dating app in the world, with over 75 million active users every month, equal to about one-third of dating app users worldwide.

Of course, Tinder has the famous “swipe left, swipe right” method, where users swipe right based on how they feel about a prospect's looks almost exclusively (as the app only allows users 500 characters for profile bios). The app also works in real-time and is location-based, so it's easy for users to find sexual partners who live close to them.

Bumble

If you're a woman who's tired of the hookup culture that comes along with dating apps like Tinder, then Bumble is the way to go. It's a woman-centric app that began in 2014 after one of Tinder's co-founders, Whitney Wolfe Herd, had a very public rift with Tinder.

Bumble markets itself as a 100% woman-centric app, which is true. For heterosexual matches, women must be the first to make contact or send a message. Essentially, that feature prevents women from receiving harassing messages or unsolicited pictures from men. While Bumble started as a dating app, it has gradually shifted into a broader, holistic community, with its primary users between 18 and 34 years of age.

Grindr

In March of 2009, Joel Simkhai revolutionized the world of gay online dating with Grindr, another real-time, location-based dating app for gay, bisexual, and transgender men. When Grindr went live on the App Store, it was the first of its kind. Flash forward to 2022, and Grindr has over 11 million active monthly users, with around 80% of its user base under the age of 35. The app emphasizes privacy and has features that allow users to “unsend” photographs and messages and block other users from screenshotting images in their messaging system.

Hinge

Hinge is the dating app that wants you to delete it – after you make a match, that is. In 2012, Justin McLeod created Hinge and launched the app in early 2013 on an iOS-only platform for residents of Washington, D.C. In 2017, it spread to all of the U.S. and Canada. Initially, it was a Facebook plug-in, but it now focuses on long-term dating. As of 2020, the app has over six million monthly active users. Its user base is Millennial-heavy, with 90% between ages 23 and 36. Furthermore, 50.2% are female, with 49.8% are male.  

Match.com

In 1995, Match.com became the first online dating site. Since then, the company has owned and operated many well-known dating sites, including PlentyOfFish, OkCupid, and Tinder. Match.com focuses primarily on connecting people for long-term relationships. About 25% of its user base is under age 30, and 48.6% is between 30 and 49. Around 26.5% are over the age of 50, which is the fastest-growing demographic on Match.com. Most of its users are higher-educated and childless.

How Dating Apps Have Changed the Way People Hook Up

In the past, people met at a bar or club, through friends and family, schools, or activities involving their personal interests. Many people met because they had common interests. However, online dating apps have revolutionized the world of sexual behavior and the process of finding willing sexual partners. So have dating apps and STDs risen hand-in-hand?

No longer do people have to, well – to be blunt – put in the effort. Instead of going out and trying new hobbies to meet people or even heading to the local bar, finding a new hookup is as simple as swiping right on your smartphone. It's become frighteningly easy to find potential partners and no-strings-attached hookups, even anonymous sex.

Plus, people can now hide behind the “wall of technology.” Superficiality and visual appeal significantly impact how dating app users evaluate their potential partners. Again, this contributes to the anonymous, no-strings-attached hookup culture that has evolved thanks partly to dating apps like Tinder and Grindr.

Yes, some people are perusing dating apps looking for a monogamous or long-term relationship. However, many people who use dating apps (particularly younger people) are doing so to find a casual hookup. If it turns into something more, maybe they're okay with that. If it doesn't, that's okay too.

However, while this proliferation of geo-location dating apps and websites has made it easier for people to forge a connection in a lonely world, it's had some other unintended consequences. Research has shown that users who remain active on dating apps have a higher number of sexual partners, more unprotected sex, more frequent sexual encounters, and more partners who have STIs or HIV. Ultimately, this increases their risk of acquiring STDs and spreading them to others.

So, are dating apps and STDs connected? Well, experts think so. For one, CDC data show that numbers for syphilis and gonorrhea have increased since 2016: 52% and 45%, respectively. Another huge problem is congenital syphilis. This STI (sexually transmitted infection) causes severe problems for pregnant mothers, increasing the rate of stillbirths and deaths among babies. The numbers are up 235% since 2016, highlighting a significant problem.

Another issue that contributes to the rising numbers of STDs is a lack of sex education and people who don't take care of their sexual health. You can catch STDs from oral, anal, or vaginal sex; some transfer by just close skin-to-skin contact or kissing.

Getting regular testing is much easier than you think. You can order a 10-panel STD test right now from the Rapid STD Testing website and have your confidential results regarding your STI status in one to three days. It's fast, easy, private, and keeps you “in the know.”

How Dating Apps Can Help Curb the Numbers

While the companies that own and operate the most popular dating apps (like Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, etc.) don't want to admit it, they have a platform that can help curb the spread of STDs among their sexually active users. First, one crucial factor is talking to your partner about sex. It may feel awkward, but it could be worse. For example, many STDs don't show symptoms. By getting regular STD tests and talking with your partners, you can prevent spreading STDs unknowingly.

Dating apps may be actively contributing to the problem, but they can be part of the solution and bring awareness to STDs, safe sex, and healthy dating practices. For example, they can curb the rapidly growing numbers by advertising safe sex and free treatment resources to users who perpetuate the hookup culture that often leads to higher STD rates. Many (but not all) of these apps already have information, resources, links, and health features that can provide more awareness to users and their partners.

For example, in April 2019, Monongalia County in West Virginia saw rates of syphilis infections rise sharply, in addition to HIV co-infections. You can quickly cure syphilis with medication, but the disease often doesn't show symptoms, and latent stages can lead to infertility, insanity, and death.

Health officials in WV determined the primary cause of the increase in syphilis infections was men having sex with men. After hearing from many patients who met their partners through dating apps and became infected, officials reached out to these apps, including Tinder and Grindr.

While Tinder didn't agree to free advertising, Grindr considered the health and safety of its users a priority and decided to let officials advertise for free. So, in late April 2019, any user within 50 miles of the outbreak's epicenter who opened Grindr would see an ad offering free STD testing and treatment options.

More than 70,000 users saw that ad over the next six months, with 3,500 clicking through to the resource page. The tactic worked, and the region saw a positive impact and results from the ads.

In fact, since 2015, Grindr has allowed many officials to run free ads based on locations, states, and regions that warn users against the dangers of unprotected sex and risks of becoming infected with diseases like Hepatitis A, meningitis, syphilis, etc. It's had a positive impact and is a model that every dating app should follow.

The Emergence of STD Dating Apps

Now, technology and the world of dating apps have moved forward even further. For STD-positive people, there are now plenty of STD dating apps that offer a safe, non-judgmental way to date and find love. Consider these statistics from the Centers for Disease Control:

  • 984,000 people have HIV
  • 42.5 million people have human papillomavirus (HPV)
  • 18.6 million Americans have genital herpes (HSV-2)

Dating is hard enough in the 21st century without the extra pressure of telling potential partners you're STD-positive. However, using an STD dating app can provide an easier solution.

The best dating app for STD-positive individuals depends on various factors, like your personal preference and intentions regarding dating. Here are the most popular dating apps for people with STDs:

PositiveSingles: With over one million members, PositiveSingles has a large, confidential community for people with herpes and other chronic STDs. The app has many resources and over 60,000 success stories of members who have found love with this STD dating app.

Meet Positives: This STD dating app is free to use and features a wide range of user demographics and sexual orientations. Plus, it has lots of support, information, and resources for STD-positive people.

POZ Personals: POZ Personals is a section of the magazine POZ. It has a large community of users and provides information and resources about living with HIV and AIDS. For example, members can ask questions about HIV treatments, signs of a cheating partner, how having HIV affects dating and hookups, etc.

Additional STD dating apps include:

  • H-Werks
  • Herpes People Meet
  • HIV Dating Online
  • HSV Date
  • Pos Date
  • HSV Singles

Protect Your Sexual Health with Regular STD Testing

So is there a connection between dating apps and STDs? Well, research is limited. However, apps that facilitate an anonymous hookup culture can lead to unprotected sex and, therefore, higher STD rates. However, you can protect yourself by getting a rapid STD test today. Call us now at (800) 872-1888 or visit the Rapid STD Testing website to order your testing panel today and stay current regarding your status.

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By: Karen Terry
October 5, 2022

With a profound passion for making intricate medical information accessible to all, John possesses a unique ability to simplify complex concepts without sacrificing accuracy or depth. Armed with a comprehensive understanding of various healthcare fields, John is well-versed in the latest research and advancements. However, what truly sets him apart is his remarkable talent for distilling this wealth of knowledge into engaging, reader-friendly content.