Hawaii is now a hotbed of STDs — thanks to the increasing popularity of online dating, health officials said.
Reports of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have soared in the Aloha State to the highest numbers in decades, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Sunday.
“All three are [near or] at their highest rates in about 30 years,” said Gerald Hasty, program coordinator for the state Department of Health’s Harm Reduction Services Branch. “The fact that they’re all increasing is not desirable but it’s also not unexpected.”
Health officials said cases of gonorrhea more than doubled in the past 10 years alone, from 611 to 1,496 cases in 2018. Syphilis infections also spiked to 180 cases from 38 just 10 years ago.
There were also 7,732 cases of chlamydia last year, jumping from 5,972 cases in 2008.
State officials attributed the spike to the efficiency of online dating, which allows people to meet more people.
“As people rely on digital means of making connections, it can lead to circumstances where they might be more exposed to infection without them knowing it,” Hasty said. “More partners, more chances to get infections.”
With Post wires