MASHABLE – May 26 – STD rates have risen in the U.S. over the last 10 years and reports drawing the line between STDs and dating apps have also proliferated on the news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in Sep 2017 that rates of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea infections have increased for the third straight year. "I think there are lots of different, simultaneous influences, such as a decrease in condom use, an increased rate in screenings and a decrease in sexual education ," said Dr. Heidi Bauer, the California Department of Public Health's (CDPH) chief. But Dr. Bauer does maintain that dating apps and social media may play a role. According to her reports on California, there's been a 40% increase among syphilis cases in men who have sex with men who report meeting their partners on the Internet; for heterosexual syphilis cases, that increase is 10%. And while app-users were more likely to have STDs than those who didn't use apps, they were also having more sex overall. Those who use the apps would probably still be having more sex even if apps weren't around.
by Rachel Kraus
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