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 Editorial:
STDs a Serious Issue in the Online Dating World
by Joe Tracy, Publisher of Online Dating Magazine
(January 2004) The growth of the online
dating industry has created a serious concern that
most online dating services aren't addressing - sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs). As more people connect
now than ever, thanks to the ease of which online dating
brings people together, the growth risk of STDs
also grows. This is one main reason that Online Dating
Magazine has opened the STD
Information Center, an
in-depth educational reference on sexually transmitted
diseases.
Last Fall, I was shocked when an online
dating service put out a press release bragging that
60% of their members had sex on the first date! What
this service failed to publicize was the dangers
that frequent sex with multiple partners poses, primarily
in the spread of STDs.
Unfortunately, few studies have addressed
how online dating affects the growth and transmission
of STDs. One of the few studies to look at this issue
was published in July 2000 by the Journal of the American
Medical Association. The objective of the study was
"to compare risk of STD transmission for persons
who seek sex partners on the Internet with risk for
persons not seeking sex partners on the Internet."
The conclusion of the study, which included 856 people
was, "clients who seek sex using the Internet appear
to be at greater risk for STDs than clients who do
not seek sex on the Internet."
Another study published in the Journal
of the American Medical Association also found a rise
in the STD syphilis among
people meeting online and having sex. This coincides
with news that
syphilis rates in the U.S. have risen for two straight
years
after a decade of declining.
The Honolulu Advertiser newspaper has
reported an alarming jump in STDs over the past several
years. According to the paper:
"State and federal public health officials
say one reason for the rise in these STDs is a loosening
of attitudes about safe-sex practices."
This is manifested by the ignorance of
agencies not publicly addressing the issue of online
dating in the spread of STDs. Education of STDs is
vital to people of all ages who are rediscovering romance
online. A person who may have previously only dated
one or two people a year has found it easy to date
dozens
of people
in a year since the emergence of online dating. As
more people are exposed to each other in the dating
scene, the exposure to STDs becomes more prevalent.
Further complicating matters is that
a person can have an STD without showing any symptoms.
This makes it easier to pass on to another unsuspecting
person. HPV it
rapidly spread in this manner, with only a small
percentage of HPV positive
people showing symptoms like genital warts. It is estimated
that 50% of sexually active people acquire HPV sometime
in their life.
Being a part of the online dating scene
is a fun and exciting adventure. But with that adventure
comes a responsibility to educate yourself, even if
you've never had an STD. For example, many people don't
realize that several STDs, including Herpes, can be
spread from oral sex. Others can be contracted from
simple skin-to-skin contact, even if there is no intercourse.
Here are some tips addressing
some of the STD dangers associated with online dating:
1) Educate yourself on the various STDs
and how they are spread. Visit our STD
Information Center to gain valuable insight into STDs.
2) Have a serious
STD chat with your partner before engaging in sexual
activities, including
oral sex or the touching of genital areas. Specifically
ask your partner, "do you have any STDs or have you
ever been exposed to any STDs?" Ask the person to
be honest with you and be equally honest with your
partner.
If both of you are truly in love then you'll work
through the STD issue together. Having an STD is
nothing to be ashamed about. Hiding it from your
partner is.
3) Remember that the only 100% safe method
of not catching an STD is to refrain from sexual activity.
4) Several studies have examined condom
use and its role in the prevention of STDs. Click
here to read the report.
5) If you think you
may have acquired an STD, be sure to be tested. Only
a physician
can properly diagnose whether you have an STD. If
you do, then you'll be able to get treatment either
for
the disease, the symptoms, or both. While some STDs
aren't curable, others are.
6) If you feel the need to talk to someone
about an STD concern you have, then call the National CDC STD
Hotline. The number is 800-342-2437 (at the menu prompt, press 1).
If you do have an STD, don't feel
like you're alone. According to the Sexuality Information
and Education Council more than 65 million Americans
have an incurable STD.
By being aware of STDs, how they are
spread, how to prevent them, and how to treat them,
you are on the road to creating a safer online dating
environment for yourself and others.
Joe Tracy
jtracy@onlinedatingmagazine.com
> Try Perfectmatch.com - The Best Approach to Finding the Right Person for You.
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