Private MD News

Dating websites for people with STDs gain in popularity

Category: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Having a sexually transmitted disease can get very complicated because it not only affects a person's health, it can also be a source of embarrassment. Some STDs, like herpes, cannot be cleared with a simple shot or pill, and people will have to inform all future sexual partners of their condition. However, passing an STD on to someone is even more embarrassing than telling them you have one, and may put someone's life at risk, which is why people should regularly utilize STDS testing services.

To avoid this uncomfortable conversation, more people are seeking out sexual partners who have the same STD as they do. Recently, WFMY News, a North Carolina news source, reported that there has been an increase in specialty dating websites geared toward people with STDs.

Seeking others with STDs
The news source spoke to clinical psychologist Carl Hindy​, who explained why people with STDs may be interested in a dating website that caters just to them.

"A lot of my clients are looking for relationships and they are on [other dating websites], but then the question is, 'When do I tell him or her that I have herpes? If I tell them right away, that person is going to go away. But if I let the relationship develop and wait to tell the person, is that betrayal?'" Hindy told WFMY News. "It makes dating really hard."

A dating website that is exclusively for people with STDs saves people the trouble of having to tell their sexual partner about their infection or virus. The news source also spoke to Diana Kirschner, a psychologist who wrote the book "Find Your Soul Mate Online in 6 Simple Steps", who added that one in four women is infected with herpes, and some feel ashamed about their diagnosis and are wary about telling others. This is why they would rather seek a partner who is also infected.

There is a danger
However, there is a problem when some people with STDs have a relationship with others who also have an infection or virus. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that people with HIV should not have unprotected sex with others who are infected with the virus. This is because there are different strains of HIV that one infected person can pass onto the other, which may make their condition more difficult to treat.

This is why people with STDs who date others with infections should still practice safer sex by using condoms properly and consistently.