An Interesting Hypothesis

An interesting article from the Canadian National Post hypothesizes that the increased STD rate which has been seen in the country may be, at least in part, driven by an increase in online dating. Their theory is that, particularly for older people who are generally less likely to practice safe sex, online dating makes intimacy develop faster and sex occur sooner in the relationship.

There's not yet any research to support a causal relationship between a rise in the number of people who are online dating and increased STD rates, but it wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be at least a little bit true. However, I would argue with the mechanism they're proposing. My hypothesis is that, were such a relationship to be found, that the reason would be that older people are having MORE sexual partners, not that they're becoming intimate sooner. While to an extent these are two sides of the same coin, phrasing the problem as "quicker intimacy" ignores the fact that, in these populations, waiting longer wasn't going to make either safe sex, or STD screening, much more likely. That's a problem that needs to be addressed on its own.

• STD Screening Guidelines
• STDs in Older Populations
• Safe Sex Tips

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Source: http://std.about.com/b/2012/03/28/an-interesting-hypothesis.htm

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