Is Tinder helping spread STDs?

• 50 million people use Tinder every month

• There are 1 billion swipes every day

• 12 million matches are made each day

• 1.5 million people went on Tinder dates last week

STD infection rates are skyrocketing nationwide. Each year, new all time highs are reached for Syphilis, Gonorrhea, HIV and other diseases. And tragically, the impact is felt most by young people between the ages of 15 and 24.

Experts are struggling with how to interpret these numbers. Some are suggesting that budget cuts are to blame. Others think we’re simply finding more cases that would otherwise have gone undiagnosed.

But there are a growing number of studies that confirm a third reason: The rise of of Anonymous Dating Apps like Tinder, Grindr, and OKCupid. Some experts have coined the phrase “Tinder Effect”.

1.5 million people dated last week thanks to Tinder. These apps make connecting with people faster and more efficient than ever before. As one young man described it, “You could talk to two or three girls at a bar and pick the best one, or you can swipe a couple hundred people a day. You set up two or three Tinder dates a week, and if you sleep with most of them, you could rack up 100 girls you’ve slept with in a year!”

But the problem with casual, anonymous sex via these apps strikes on two fronts:

1. Having sex with more people means you’re more likely to become infected with an STD.

2. If you find out you’re infected, it’s very hard to track down the people you have met through the app and let them know to get tested.

Tinder itself vehemently denies that it helps spread STDs, even going as far as ordering the takedown of billboards and bus ads warning Tinder users to get tested for STDs. They’ve also taken some steps to make it easier to get tested, such as adding an STD Testing Location Tracker to their app. But they’ve shown reluctance to do more than this.

“Dating Apps don’t want to be associated with STDs. And no one has any authority to require or mandate that these sites mitigate the consequences of their businesses” said Jeffrey Klausner, a professor of medicine and STD researcher at UCLA.

So when it comes to Dating Apps, the burden falls on you to protect yourself from becoming infected, or infecting others. Here’s some quick tips on how to do that:

1. Use protection every time you have sex. Although a condom won’t protect you from every disease, it’s the first line of defense, and it’s been proven to cut infection rates dramatically. Even if you use another method to prevent pregnancy, like birth control or an IUD, you should still use a condom to protect yourself against the risk of infection from an STD.
2. Talk to your partners to minimize risk. The most important aspect of any sexual encounter is communication. If you both care about each other’s sexual health, you won’t have a problem gently breaching this topic.
3. Get Tested Regularly. Private Testing Center offers affordable and convenient testing, in a constant effort to prevent the spread of Herpes, HIV and other STDs.Our primary goal is to to educate people about the risks associated with unprotected sexual activity and also the importance routine screenings play in prevention and treatment of Herpes, HIV and STDs.

All of our testing is performed through the blood and urine. No pelvic exams, painful swabs or embarrassing visual exams are necessary, as blood and urine testing is the most accurate.

Our counselors are the most knowledgeable, honest and ethical in the industry. Feel confident knowing that you can speak freely to our counselors about any situation or issue. You will never be judged by anyone at Private Testing Center. We will always make sure the right testing is being done at the right time. With Private Testing Center, you can feel confident knowing that your test results will not only be fast, but accurate as well.