Dating with a Disease

Sexually transmitted diseases can be deadly and spread mainly through sexual transmission. Lets talk about HIV/AIDS. This global pandemic, arriving to the center of attention in the mid to late 1900s has taken the lives of many, and has become somewhat of a stigmatization. Statistics provided by the CDC, 2017 saw an incidence of around 38,000 cases in the US with men representing approximately 81%. Among men, this disease is spread mainly by anal sex, with this being the riskiest type of sex for getting or transmitting HIV according to the CDC. What makes matters worse is that a stigmatization with this disease can lead to its spread and to a lack of retrieving care. People living with it can feel rejected or gossiped about and can prevent them from letting others know they have HIV.

I believe it is very difficult to talk about STDs as these correlate to a pretty private part of humans lifestyles (I’m talking about sex). So, an intriguing approach that I think just may work, is to make these diseases broadly apparent to the public and increase access to health services across the country. Reducing the stigmatization of these diseases would allow people to seek the care they need, notify the people that they may affect and that could possibly help them, and increase the self-concept of many people suffering from these diseases. Here is an idea that is worth getting behind: Incorporate preventative measures information and access points as well as personal information into dating apps. With the world evolving, technology is going to play a key role in reducing STD transmission.

Interestingly, scientists and other smart people are in the midst of creating programs that could reduce this outcast feeling amongst people with HIV and implement prevention strategies within dating/sexual partner apps. Simply, the study presents that this geosocial networking app feature would provide the tools to share sexual health preferences and HIV status, as well as give the potential to present information on where to seek care and retrieve preventative sexual health services. With the world of dating increasingly going online, it is imperative that dangerous sexual transmitted diseases are kept up with and made aware of. Implementing this type of program into already established dating apps could prove to be a valuable preventative measure that could reduce the transmission of such diseases as well as reduce the stigmatization that is already present. People can meet people that they care about, get the help they may need, and understand fully the relationship they may be getting into.