A rise in the rates of sexually transmitted diseases is attributed to the ease of hooking up via social media. The casual and sometimes anonymous sexual encounters available instantly via Tinder and with some work via sites like Match.com have multiplied not only the odds of getting lucky, but also of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
In Rhode Island, a director with the Rhode Island Department of Health notes that between 2013 and 2014, HIV rates increased 33 percent, gonorrhea increased 30 percent and syphilis cases are up 79 percent. Those are the type of earnings that would make stockholders dance, but they’re statistics that are making more and more people weep. HIV is an incurable disease that requires a lifetime of drug treatments to stave off the plague of AIDS, while gonorrhea is increasingly immune to antibiotic treatments. Syphilis is a silent killer and can lead to a host of health problems until it is diagnosed.
While sexually transmitted diseases have been around since people first started having sex, the relative ease of creating a casual encounter has been tied to the loosening of moral fibers. No longer is casual sex frowned upon in society, and combined with the instant gratification of being able to find a willing partner and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, a perfect storm has emerged.
Southern California has seen a similar rise in sexually transmitted diseases. The two more affected groups are young people under age 18 and members of the LGBT community, according to an NBC News affiliate in Sacramento.
A social media expert, Thomas Dodson, spoke to station KCRA and told their reporter that he had conducted several focus groups that noted a rise in sexual activity spawned by social media.
Dodson cited the instant connectivity of Tinder and Grindr, while Snapchat and Instagram have also caused issues. The California Department of Health notes that gonorrhea and syphilis rates increased by 13 percent and 18 percent, respectively, between 2012 and 2014. The highest incidents of STDs were in youths between age 15 and 24, the prime social media age demographic.
Privacy Plus Connectivity
Social media travels like social diseases, spread by person-to-person contact and sharing. In social media, information is shared. That often leads to sharing bodily fluids in the real world.
There are good things that can come from the power of the 'Net. One of the most famous examples of Internet fame that became something larger thanks to a professional connection is Justin Bieber. The Canadian started out with a few videos of local music performances in his native Canada that his mother posted online. In the grand tradition of stage mothers everywhere, she secretly hoped that her cute son with a decent voice might have a career in music.
Her hunch soon paid off. Bieber’s videos were discovered by professional artist manager Scooter Braun. Impressed by what he saw and particularly by the number of views the music videos had already garnered, Braun soon introduced Bieber to entertainment mogul Usher. That led to a major label record deal and access to a marketing machine that helped make Bieber into the mainstream teen idol he is today.
People who are less talented but beautiful can have the same impact. Shots of beautiful people can circulate and make them into overnight sensations. Particularly with teenagers, who are still developing social skills, such overwhelming attention can lead to bad choices.
Protecting Yourself
No one is going to stop the young men and women of the tribe (or even the older members) from gathering around the fire and meeting up for fun. Social media is here to stay, and as long as people are interested in sex, the social communications of online will lead to real-world meetups and some intimate connections.
Thus, it’s wise to emphasize the things that can help protect against sexually transmitted diseases. The best protection, although not the most foolproof – wear a condom. This not only lessens the chance of pregnancy, but also can provide protection against STDs. Keep in mind that condoms can tear or break, and latex can't stop every form of STD.
Some of the most common STDs and their prevention:
Herpes
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases. The disease is two strains of a virus that can produce painful, recurring genital or anal lesions that can be transmitted to others by oral or genital contact.
About one in every six people from age 14 to 49 years old has genital herpes, but it can be acquired at any age. Itching or pain that occurs between two and 10 days after exposure to an infected person yield to small red bumps or white blisters. Then ulcers can occur when the initial bumps or blisters start oozing or bleeding, eventually forming scabs when the healing process begins.
The general herpes experience is different for every person because the sores' initial location is a matter of the sexual contact performed.
While there is no cure for genital herpes, there are medications that can help the afflicted heal faster, lessen the severity of an outbreak and duration of the symptoms, and help reduce the frequency of outbreaks. These include Acyclovir (sold commercially as Zovirax); Famciclovir (commercially, Famvir) and Valacyclovir (commercially, Valtrex). Depending on the medication and your general health, you may take the medication either daily or only when symptoms of an outbreak first appear.
HIV/AIDS
The world has come a long way from the days when an HIV infection was an automatic death sentence. But even though HIV infection is no longer the grim news it once was, it is still present and still not something anyone wishes to acquire.
In the United States, more than 1 million people older than age 13 are infected with HIV. Of those, more than 10 percent of them are unaware of their infection, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The vast majority of people who acquire HIV do so through sexual contact, with the rest passing it along via sharing needles or (increasingly rarely) acquiring it through blood transfusions. Unfortunately, HIV still has no cure, so once acquired, it means that HIV will be with the patient for life.
That means a regimen of antiretroviral therapy will become part of the patient’s lifestyle. Fortunately, antiretroviral treatments are widely available, and if a blood test identifies HIV infection, immediate treatment can begin. With early intervention, HIV positive people can avoid serious complications and go on to lead healthy and productive lives.
Syphilis
Syphilis is an STD that is treated with antibiotics. Left untreated, it can affect the brain and create symptoms that resemble mad cow disease. Using a condom or abstaining from sex are the only ways to avoid getting syphilis.
Social media has become a popular way to meet people – including Mr. or Mrs. Right – but it's important to recognize and protect yourself from hazards like STDs.