STD Rates Rise, Sex Apps to Blame

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Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise in the United States, and health officials are laying the blame at the doorsteps of casual sex being arranged through social media and dating apps.  In addition, they also point the finger at promiscuity, drugs, alcohol and failure to use condoms.

In the report by the Rhode Island Department of Health, researchers highlighted the alarming rise of STD's in the state between 2013 and 2014, with HIV infections up by 33 percent, gonorrhea up 30 percent, and syphilis rising an alarming 79 percent.

"New cases of HIV and syphilis continued to increase among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men at a faster rate than in other populations," the report noted, adding that "infection rates of all STDs continued to have a greater impact on the African-American, Hispanic, and young adult populations."

While better testing partly explains the increase, health officials also highlighted "high-risk behaviors that have become more common in recent years," such as "using social media to arrange casual and often anonymous sexual encounters."

Other risky behavior factors were: "Having sex without a condom, having multiple sex partners, and sex while under the influence of drugs or alcohol."

Officials say these increases are a part of a shocking trend across the United States.  Although the latest statistics from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are from 2013, recently data has shown spikes in the rates of STDs from New York to Texas to Utah.

According to data from the CDC between 2001 and 2011, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the rate of HIV infection dropped by 30 percent across the entire population, but rose by 132.5 percent for gay and bisexual men.

Lynn Beltran, an epidemiologist at an STD clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah, has started asking patients about contact apps they have used to meet people for casual sex.

"It's been the perfect storm," says Beltran.  "Our attitude kind of shifted, where it became more acceptable to engage in casual sex."

Beltran says that she had seen an uptick in syphilis and gonorrhea rates, and that many of the newly diagnosed patients said they were sexually active through dating apps.

Anthony Hayes, managing director of public affairs and policy for the Gay Men's Health Crisis, told ABC News social media wasn't to blame so much as "our failure to provide young people with comprehensive, effective sex education and access to condoms" and affordable medical care.