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Grindr Blamed for Rise in HIV Infections

Posted by on Sep 12, 2012 in Health | 7 comments

The international proliferation of gay daaaaaating app Grindr has been once again linked to a rise in STD infections in the gay community. This time the Mad Libs fill-in-the-blank answers are “Hong Kong” and “HIV.”

Yikes.

AIDS Concern, the oldest HIV awareness group in Hong Kong, has blamed gay hook-up app Grindr for the highest number of new HIV infections in the former British colony.

In April to June this year there were 131 new cases of HIV in Hong Kong, the most in a quarter since records began in 1984. Of those, 65 were from MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) and 37 with source undetermined.

With a total population of over 7 million in the region, these figures are still relatively low, but China Daily reports that the Department of Health are worried that new infections could exceed 500 this year. And HIV infections are spreading fastest among MSM.

Grindr may be quickening the pace of new infections in Hong Kong, but plenty of blame should be placed upon the region’s lackluster sex education programs which fail to include any mention of gay sex, leaving men in the dark about the risks.

Still, this is hardly the first time that Grindr has been internationally linked to an STD epidemic. Just last month the gay sex app was blamed for a syphilis outbreak in New Zealand.

On a personal note, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working alongside Grindr CEO Joel Simkhai, and he’s a really sweet man. I’m sure reports like this both put him on the defensive and break his heart. While modern marvels like Grindr certainly make it easier for gay men to find each other, at a certain point a sweeping lack of autonomous rational behavior becomes the real villain here.

Fellas, if you must Grind, don’t be an idiot. Wrap it up. Every single time.

(via Gay Star News)