Do you have a Tinder? If you don’t, I’m sure one of your friends does! According to the apple store, “ Tinder is a fun way to connect with new and interesting people around you. Swipe right to Like or left to Pass on the people Tinder recommends. If someone likes you back, it’s a match! Chat with your matches and get to know them inside of Tinder.” I didn’t jump on board with the whole idea of Tinder right away but, I can’t lie I did create one.

So, let’s be honest, first impressions are everything and looks are what attracts us to people in the first place. That’s exactly what Tinder and other similar dating apps do for you. They take away the pain of debating if the guy you saw yesterday on campus is also interested in getting to know you. Tinder is extremely user friendly and easy to use! The person’s profile tells you their age, your common friends, as well as some of their interest, what the app doesn’t tell you however is their sexual history. Mobile dating apps such as Tinder and Grindr are changing how we interact, making casual sex as easy as ordering a pizza! Your next hook-up could easily be a few feet away…..along with your next STI! Many STIs that public health had worked hard to lower rates are now on the rise. Syphilis is just one of these STIs that have been increasing in the past couple years.

Syphilis is a highly contagious, yet curable, bacterial disease that if left untreated can cause significant complications in health. The disease is caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum  and is transmitted through direct sexual contact, venereal syphilis, or from an infected mother to a developing fetus,congenital syphilis (French).  The STI, which infects an estimated 10-12 million new people each year is divided into four stages: primary, secondary, latent, and late syphilis.  The rate of primary and secondary syphilis decreased during the 1990’s and hit an all time low since 1941, the start of reporting (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Although the rate of primary and secondary syphilis dramatically declined from 1990- 2000, the rate started an upward trend in 2001 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention).

Just a previously stated, syphilis is transmitted through direct sexual contact or from an infected mother to an unborn child (Center for Disease Control and Prevention).  As a result of transmission through direct contact with the sore, condoms are only useful in prevention of transmission if the sore is covered by the condom. Sores commonly occur on external genitals, lips, and in the mouth; consequently condom use is not an effective barrier. The risk of becoming infected increases with increasing sexual partners, 30- 60% of sexual contacts with early syphilis will become infected (French). The increasing rate of primary and secondary syphilis is unproportionally high among men who have sex with men (MSM) with an estimate of 64% cases attributed to MSM (Heffelfinger).

    The only way to fully prevent not only syphilis but, also other sexually transmitted infections (STI) is to abstain from sexual contact including but not limited to vaginal, anal, and oral sex (Mayo Clinic). Although abstaining from sexual contact is a sure way to avoid STIs, it is not always practical. Other more practical ways to lower the risk of becoming infected with syphilis are: having mutually monogamous sex with an uninfected person, encouraging partners to get tested, using a latex condom, and avoiding excessive drinking and recreational drugs that may lead to risky behaviors (Mayo Clinic).    

Citations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national plan to eliminate syphilis from the

United States. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2006.

Mayo Clinic. (2014, January 2). Prevention: Syphilis. Retrieved September 27, 2015.

French, P. (2007). syphilis. BMJ: British Medical Journal,334(7585), 143-147.

doi:10.1136/bmj.39085.518148.BE

Heffelfinger JD, Swint EB, Berman SM, Weinstock HS. Trends in primary and secondary

syphilis among men who have sex with men in the United States. Am J Public Health.

2007;97:1076-83.