Navigating Sexual Health and Empowerment in the Age of Dating Apps

In today's digital world, dating apps have revolutionized how we connect and form relationships. But with this technological shift come new challenges and considerations around sexual health, consent, and intimacy. To explore these important topics, we spoke with Dr. Trina Orchard, an anthropologist, author, and activist who has extensively researched and written about dating apps and relationships.

The Changing Landscape of Relationships

Dr. Orchard notes that dating apps have significantly impacted how we view and approach relationships:

"Dating apps have had a huge impact on the push back against relationships in a way because they're designed to keep us swiping. They give us intermittent wins...that very normalized message about constant action, constant movement is the exact opposite of the dominant narrative we hear about relationships traditionally, which is choose one person and settle down."

This constant searching and swiping can make it difficult to form meaningful connections. As Dr. Orchard explains:

"If people are constantly searching, they're not giving each person they're connecting with all that much time or energy, so it's not super meaningful and they're not really making decisions about selecting one person at one point in time."

Additionally, issues like ghosting and people disappearing from platforms contribute to instability in relationships formed through apps.

Sexual Health Awareness on Dating Apps

When it comes to sexual health, most mainstream dating apps fall short:

"On most of the standard dating apps like Bumble and Tinder...there was no requirement in terms of putting up your vaccine status or your STI status, certainly, or whether you identify as sex positive or you're sort of conservative sexually."

Dr. Orchard suggests that dating apps could do more to promote sexual health awareness:

"I think it would be interesting to explore with different communities and have user feedback and then share those findings with the different app creators because you could certainly shift some of the way that the platforms are set up to make room for that."

Some potential features could include:

• Options to share STI testing status
• Information on sexual health and safety
• Resources on consent and healthy relationships
• Ways to indicate sexual preferences and boundaries

However, there are challenges to implementing such features, including privacy concerns and fears of judgment. As Dr. Orchard notes, "We are still a very moralistic kind of society and we talk a lot about diversity and everything is shifting and things like that, but when you get down to it a lot of people are very judgmental still."

The Need for Comprehensive Sex Education

Beyond dating apps, Dr. Orchard emphasizes the critical need for comprehensive, inclusive sex education from a young age:

"We need to have sex ed everywhere from a very young age. It needs to be tailored for social location, different communities, different needs. It needs to be inclusive, it needs to be trauma-informed, it needs to be attentive to the world as it is changing around us."

This education should go beyond just risks and dangers to include topics like:

• Gender identity and expression
• Pleasure and intimacy
• Communication and consent
• Healthy relationships
• Emotional intelligence

"If we lived in places where those kinds of things were the standard fare, we would see a reduction in so many different kinds of violence and people feeling less alone and people feeling more in touch with who they are," Dr. Orchard explains.

Promoting Sexual Empowerment and Self-Care

For those navigating the world of dating apps, Dr. Orchard offers some advice for maintaining sexual health and wellbeing:

1. Set boundaries around app usage: "One of the things I tried to do was to have key times when I was swiping...I began to sort of schedule my times and so I felt like I had more control with the experience."

2. Practice self-reflection: "Try to be as reflexive as possible in moving through different kinds of experiences. Your gut is always right and if you feel a bit apprehensive about someone...chances are you're correct that something's a bit fishy."

3. Call out bad behavior: "I would call people out on their bad behavior...About half the time they'd be like 'You can't take a joke' and it's like unmatch, but then the other half...would be like 'You're right, my bad.'"

4. Expand your dating ecology: "Try and think of other ways to create opportunities to meet people in the wild...When you're not so dependent on one technique, it kind of loosens things up a bit."

5. Take care of your mental health: Dr. Orchard recommends practices like morning meditation to help manage the emotional toll of online dating.

Looking to the Future

As we continue to navigate relationships in the digital age, Dr. Orchard hopes to see more open discussions about sexual health and wellbeing on dating apps:

"We need to see discussions about it because it's virtually absent...Finding a way to either exit that conversation safely and without that other person having any information to follow them or find them, that's important."

She also suggests incorporating engaging information about consent, sexual health, and pleasure into the sign-up process and ongoing marketing of dating apps.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a dating landscape that promotes not just connections, but healthy, respectful, and fulfilling relationships. By combining improved app features, comprehensive education, and personal awareness, we can work towards a future where sexual health and empowerment are prioritized in our digital connections.

Conclusion

Navigating sexual health and relationships in the age of dating apps presents unique challenges, but also opportunities for growth and empowerment. By fostering open conversations, promoting comprehensive education, and developing more mindful app features, we can create a dating culture that prioritizes wellbeing, consent, and meaningful connections. As we continue to swipe, match, and meet, let's remember to approach our digital interactions with awareness, respect, and a commitment to both our own and others' sexual health and empowerment.

Article created from: https://youtu.be/_f6LlNFSIH0