Staying Healthy and Safe While Dating Online

As more people become connected online it seems only fitting that so many would now be joining the growing pool of people who visit online dating sites like Fling.com, skeptical at first and perhaps too carefree eventually. One of the goals in writing this Blog is to help people realize the responsibilities that come along with the excitement of online dating. I am a social worker and I council people dealing with teenage pregnancy. One thing I have heard time and again is “when I started using a dating site I figured it would just be a scam and nothing would come of it.” In fact, dating sites like Fling.com do work, and they may actually work all too well!

Contrary to what some people may believe, dating sites really do make it quite easy for people to meet new potential partners, and also make it far easier to make casual connections with others for short term, high energy, intimate interactions. While dating online is safe and effective, sometimes it becomes so easy to meet a man or woman online that people forget to take the precautions they would if they were meeting someone offline.

Sexually transmitted diseases are real, pregnancy is possible, and while there is no method of birth control or STD prevention more effective than abstinence, it would be silly to think that people will refrain from meeting others for casual sex now that sites like Fling.com make it so easy for people to do.

Be sure to bring a condom, never rely on the other person to have one with them. Never assume that the date will end without any intimacy. In fact, most dates arranged online do result in some kind of physical intimacy because of the feelings of familiarity that come along with having met the other person online and gotten to know them prior to the first meeting in person. Put simply, when you go out to play… be sure to play safe!