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Sexually transmitted diseases in Hawaii are at their highest rates in decades as more people turn to online dating.
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There has been a disturbing increase in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Hawaii, according to the state Department of Health.
Data comparing STD rates in 2008 and 2018 show a marked increase in cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis infections among isle residents. The increases are both in overall numbers and cases per 100,000 population. For example, there were 1,496 cases of gonorrhea in 2018 compared with just 611 10 years earlier. The rate per 100,000 was 105.4 in 2018, compared with 47.4 in 2008. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports similar trends nationally.
The question is why. STDs and their potentially deadly effects should be familiar to the general public by now. Years of public awareness programs have stripped away the queasiness of the subject, and it’s easier than ever to get prophylactics, an effective preventive measure.
Could the reason be social media? Gerald Hasty, program coordinator for DOH’s Harm Reduction Services Branch, points to proliferation of online dating, which has greatly expanded the opportunities for anonymous hookups.
“As people rely on digital means of making connections it can lead to circumstances where they might be more exposed to infection without them knowing it,” he said. “More partners, more chances to get infections.”
The CDC recommends stronger efforts by public agencies and health care providers to track and treat STD outbreaks. It also recommends common sense: talking openly about STDs, getting tested regularly, using condoms or having a mutually monogamous relationship. Doesn’t seem too difficult.