With a few of us here at SheBrisbane not opposed to the idea of online dating, a recent article by Kristian Silva of the ABC on “Chlamydia and gonorrhoea cases up in Queensland as doctors fear rise in unsafe sex” came as a bit of a shock.
Silva reported that the number of Queenslanders treated for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is on the rise, with cases of gonorrhoea increasing by 32 per cent in 2016.
Figures from Queensland Health showed 27,506 people were diagnosed with an STI in 2016, up 10 per cent on the previous year.
About 82 per cent of cases were for chlamydia, however experts have been surprised by a large spike in gonorrhoea.
In 2016, 4,006 Queenslanders were diagnosed with gonorrhoea, up from 3,038 the previous year.
“The bacterial disease can affect both sexes, and has the potential to cause infertility in women and harm unborn babies,” she said.
Dr Wendell Rosevear, who runs a Brisbane-based medical centre that specialises in sexual health, said a change in dating culture was likely to blame in the rise of infections.
Dr Rosevear said he “quite frequently” treated patients who had between four and 10 sexual partners a day, and those people faced significant risks if they were having unsafe sex.
“We’re seeing some new dynamics where people want instant sex, via the internet, so people will have multiple partners in a day,” he said.
Unfortunately we can’t trust everyone we meet so when it comes to online dating and “swiping right” SheBrisbane says get sufficient information about the person you are meeting!
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