The states of Rhode Island and Utah are experiencing a sudden significant increase of sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases not only among the young adults and the LGBT community. And they are pointing their fingers on dating apps such as Grindr and Tinder.
In a recently published report of the Rhode Island Department of Health, cases of syphilis jumped by 79% between the years of 2013 and 2014. Gonorrhea, on the other hand, increased by more than 28%. Those who have been injected by HIV also went up by no less than 30%.
Among the groups, those who belong to the LGBT community registered some of the highest increases as they are also more active. Other cases also included Hispanic, young adults, and African Americans.
The department has already lauded its own efforts in curbing these types of diseases, and they believe they have been successful for the last decades. However, the increase of cases is only a mirror of the national trend-that is, it's also happening in other states.
While they believe that the timely routine testing of individuals, especially those who are considered as high risk, contributed to the increase in rates, they also think that more people are becoming engaged in casual and unprotected sex using social media, which they use to arrange these meetings. In other cases, sex happens while being influenced by alcohol and drugs, which can significantly reduce a person's sense of judgment and control.
Utah, meanwhile, reported that their number of gonorrhea cases has just increased by more than 600% in only 3 years since 2011, enough for the health officials to be very alarmed and concerned.
One of the state's epidemiologists, Lynn Beltran, who currently works in an STD health care facility in Salt Lake City, the growing popularity of dating or hook-up apps such as Tinder and Grindr has made it incredibly convenient for people to have anonymous sex, casual sex, and sex with multiple partners. Many are tempted to engage in such activities even if they are not fully aware of the overall health condition of the person.