Rhode Islanders — and much of the rest of the country — are apparently engaging in much riskier sexual behavior and the result is a dramatic swing from declining rates to skyrocketing rates in cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV and other STDs, according to recently-released data by the state Department of Health. In Rhode Island, from 2013 to 2014: 
 
 â€¢ The number of infectious syphilis cases increased by 79%. HIV infections were up 33% and gonorrhea cases increased by 30%. â€¢ The number of newly-identified HIV cases increased by nearly 33%. “These data send a clear signal that despite the progress we have made in reducing STDs and HIV over the years, there is more work to do,” said Nicole Alexander-Scott, Director Designee at the health department. “We are fortunate in Rhode Island to have great partnerships among state agencies, community-based organizations, and healthcare providers to continue to educate, test, and treat for sexually transmitted diseases. This trend reminds us that we cannot become complacent.” 
 
 What’s the cause? The increase has been attributed to better testing by providers and to high-risk behaviors that have become more common in recent years. “High-risk behaviors include using social media to arrange casual and often anonymous sexual encounters, having sex without a condom, having multiple sex partners, and having sex while under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” the health department said in a statement. The health department said that new HIV/AIDS and syphilis cases increased at a faster rate among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men at a faster rate than other populations. â€¢ Infection rates of all STDs continued to have a greater impact on the African-American, Hispanic, and young adult populations. Over the next two decades, public-awareness campaigns coupled with testing of pregnant women helped to nearly eliminate the number of Rhode Island babies born with HIV. Likewise, needle exchange programs have drastically reduced transmission among injection drug users. The health department said that education about prevention, routine testing and treatment are priorities. The Department works with other state agencies and community partners to promote free and low-cost HIV and STD testing services throughout Rhode Island and to provide a variety of resources for clinicians to test, treat, and counsel patients and their sexual partners. In addition, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) works under a federal grant to make sexual health education more accessible to high school students, to increase awareness of and education about STDs, to correct misinformation among young people that may put them at higher risk of getting an STD, and to promote evidence-based prevention practices, including abstinence. “These new data underscore the importance of encouraging young people to begin talking to a doctor, nurse, or health educator about sexual health before becoming sexually active and especially after becoming sexually active,” said Rosemary Reilly-Chammat, EdD, RIDE HIV/AIDS Sexuality Specialist. “It’s never too early to learn about making HIV and STD testing part of routine healthcare. Doctors and nurses are trained to discuss sensitive topics like sex, and conversations with them are confidential. Health educators at schools or community health centers are great resources too.” 
 
 According to the health department: STDs are spread through anal, oral, or vaginal sex, and by skin-to-skin contact. People with undiagnosed or untreated STDs can develop long-term health problems and pass the disease to their sexual partners. Anyone who is sexually active can stop the spread of STDs and HIV: 
 
 • Practice safer sex. Use condoms or a dental dam each time you have sex. Birth control pills and spermicides do not prevent STDs. â€¢ Get tested regularly for STDs and HIV. In Rhode Island, routine testing is recommended for anyone age 13 and older. â€¢ Know your partner(s)' sexual health status. Even if you are treated for an STD, you could get re-infected because your partner was not tested and treated too. â€¢ If you've been diagnosed with an STD, take the medication as prescribed and do not have sex with anyone until your healthcare provider says it is safe to do so. â€¢ Avoid sex or close physical contact if you or a sexual partner has symptoms of an STD and see a healthcare provider for treatment. For a list of HIV-testing sites, visit: www.health.ri.gov/find/hivtestingsites/ For a listing of STD services, visit: http://www.health.ri.gov/find/stdservices/ For more information about STDs, visit: http://www.health.ri.gov/diseases/sexuallytransmitted/index.php
– Sexually transmitted diseases are staging a comeback in Rhode Island—with syphilis leading the pack, the state Department of Health reports. While HIV is up 33% from 2013 to 2014 and gonorrhea is up 30%, syphilis skyrocketed a whopping 79%. Why the sudden uptick? Officials cite better testing, but add that hookup apps like Tinder are at least partly to blame. "High-risk behaviors include using social media to arrange casual and often anonymous sexual encounters, having sex without a condom, having multiple sex partners, and having sex while under the influence of drugs or alcohol," the department said in a statement, adding that gay and bisexual men, African Americans, Hispanics, and young adults are the most affected by these growing rates. "These data send a clear signal that despite the progress we have made in reducing STDs and HIV over the years, there is more work to do," one official tells the East Greenwich Patch. Rhode Island officials say the stats are reflective of a national trend. A study from 2013 out of New York University blamed Craigslist for a 16% increase in HIV cases between 1999 and 2008 across much of the country, while the hookup app Grindr, which is primarily used by gay men, was blamed on playing a role in at least half of all syphilis cases in New Zealand in 2012, reports Fox News. (Syphilis, nearly eliminated in 2000, has increased sharply across the country, but among one group in particular.)