Health experts attribute spike in syphilis cases to social media

The number of syphilis cases in Kern County, California during 2011 is already double that reported in the previous year, according to a recent article published by the Bakersfield Californian. However, health experts have pinpointed one reason for this trend - social media.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that gay men account for a significant proportion of syphilis cases.

In Kern County, more than 7,000 gay males are using a smartphone application called Grindr, which uses GPS technology to locate other men who are open to engaging in casual relationships, the news provider explained.

Since having sexual encounters with multiple partners is one of the highest risk factors for contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), these types of social media tools may be contributing to the rise in syphilis cases, the health officials hypothesized.

Some told the news source that they are having a difficult time reaching out to men who may have been infected with an STD through a partner they met through an application or online. This is worrisome because it means that some men who have not received a proper diagnosis may unwittingly spread the diseases to others.