Dating apps blamed for syphilis rise in south west Wales

Dating apps and the recent hot weather have been blamed for a fivefold increase in cases of syphilis in south west Wales.

Since April 2018, there have been 56 confirmed cases of the disease in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend - with 16 in the past two weeks.

In the six months from April-September 2017, there were just 11 diagnoses.

A sexual health sister said some patients find it difficult to contact partners met through dating apps.

• Reality Check: Are dating apps really behind syphilis rise?

• Syphilis and gonorrhoea up by one-fifth

There were a total of 214 cases of syphilis in Wales in 2017, making up 2% of all sexually transmitted infections, according to data from Public Health Wales.

Over half of cases in the year were men who had sex with men.

What is Syphilis?

• A bacterial infection which is normally spread through sexual intercourse

• It can be treated through a short course of antibiotics

• It is possible to catch syphilis more than once

• Symptoms include small sores on the genitals, a red rash on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet

• It can spread to the brain and cause serious lasting problems if left untreated

Sexual health lead nurse Joanne Hearne at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board said: "It is possible that the heatwave earlier in the summer led to people becoming more sexually active.

"We also believe social media and the growth of dating websites and apps is another contributory factor."

Sexual health sister Carly Porter added: "We have found that some diagnosed patients find it a lot more difficult to contact previous sexual partners, as they have met them through a dating app. In some cases, they may have then deleted their profile.

"As a result, many people may be unaware they have the infection."