Dating sites and apps may be spreading HIV, a new study reveals
A new study has shown that more than 60% of gay and bisexual men diagnosed with HIV believe that they contracted the disease from a sexual partner they met online.
The study, complied by Brown University, The Miriam Hospital, and the Rhode Island Department of Health, says that the so-called hookup websites and apps should team up with public health groups, to share public health messages about the risks of sexual encounters arranged online.
Ani News tells that “In 2013, 74 Ocean State residents were newly diagnosed with HIV. Three in five were gay, bisexual, or other MSM, and of those 43 people, 22 told researchers they believe a man they met online gave them the virus, according to the study published online in the journal Public Health Reports. The research team interviewed 70 of the state’s 74 newly diagnosed people for the study.”
The five sites and apps most mentioned during the study were: Grindr, Manhunt, Scruff, Adam4Adam, and Craigslist.
Researchers Amy Nunn and Dr. Philip Chan said: “The goal of the research, therefore, is not to stigmatize sex or men who use the sites but instead to inspire partnerships with companies to include more information that could slow the spread of HIV.”
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