Hookup App Tinder Wants to Keep Sex Safe

Apparently the popular hookup app Tinder want to keep sex safe with a new addition to its website and app called Healthy Safety. The new feature, which was rolled out Thursday, offers guidance on condom use, shots, and the nearest HIV and STD testing facilities that provide the services for free.

The company also said in the recent statement that it encourages users to engage in relationship rather than just limit themselves to casual sex. But relationships need to be based on ‘proper sexual health,’ Tinder added on its site.

App users can access the information from their mobile devices in the Settings tab.

Users who want a free HIV or STD test can access a link to another app and site called Healthvana. A spokesperson for Tinder, Rosette Pambakian, said that the app’s millions of users are empowered to create relationships, which could benefit the entire world.

Although Tinder is not a health care provider, it is interested in providing users with valuable resources on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), since the diseases are often associated with casual sex and the hookup culture Tinder app promotes so heavily.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention even found a link between dating apps and an unprecedented surge in STDs among our nation’s young adults.

Additionally, a study conducted by the Rhode Island Department of Health showed hookup apps have recently boosted rates of HIV by 30 percent, syphilis by 79 percent, and gonorrhea by 30 percent.

Tinder had the idea of introducing the new section and educating the public in the wake of an aggressive HIV awareness campaign run by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) in LA.

The ads were quite striking showing faceless individuals with a message on their head saying “Tinder, Chlamydia, Grindr and Gonorrhea.” Tinder immediately urged the AHF via a letter to stop the campaign.

But the AHF wanted more than just a letter. The two groups engaged in talks that sparked new ideas that could promote both parties’ interests. The AHF asked Tinder to advocate more on sexual health and conduct awareness campaigns. Next, The AHF contacted Healthvana and persuaded it to join in the fight.

Ramin Bastani, top executive of Healthvana, hopes that Tinder’s commitment to educate users on the dangers of casual sex would be very fruitful since it is one of the largest dating apps with millions of active users. Bastani said that 21 century’s denizens should have access to healthcare services at their fingertips.

In the wake of the new resolution, the AHF agreed to remove Tinder’s name from its STD awareness campaign in LA.

Image Source: Flickr