Adding to the issue of sexually transmitted diseases are the changes in social mores and the ease of technology. Where once it was largely frowned upon to have sex outside of marriage – the religious referred to it as the sin of fornication – the advent of the birth control pill and the loosening of societal judgments led to the so-called “Sexual Revolution” of the 1960s. That made it easier than ever for women to have sex outside of marriage, and there was no shortage of men willing to take them up on it.

Fast-forward to the age of technology. Since the Internet first went commercial, chat rooms, email and social sharing made it easier than ever to reach a potential partner for a long-term relationship or a short-term liaison. The mobility of the smart phone and the advent of such applications as Tinder and Grndr have taken the power of the early Internet to greater heights.

Now, a social media voyager not only can gauge interest in sexual contact, but can get a proximity report on who is nearby and wants to hook-up. Needless to say, the popularity of these applications indicates there is no shortage of people willing to take advantage. The issue now is not whether people will engage, but with whom and how – there are apps for threesomes, apps for cheaters, apps for married people seeking same sex relationships. The mathematical possibilities are mind-boggling.

But with great power comes great responsibility, as Superman and Spider-Man were once told. Now that people can easily hook up, the greater question looming is whether they should, as sexually transmitted diseases are more prevalent than ever.

HOW TO GET AN STD

A person can get a sexually transmitted disease from the first time they have sex, and though condom use can prevent some it, it’s not a foolproof method. Condoms break and tear and oral sex can transmit fluids to your body as easily as intercourse. In short, if a person has sex, they are at risk, as any STD is characterized by sexual contact – orally, anally, vaginally, hand-to-hand or mouth-to-mouth. It is simply the passing of an organism between two people.