Hong Kong AIDS Group Blames Grindr

A Hong Kong AIDS group is blaming Grindr for a local rise in STDs and HIV infections. Gay Star News reports:

Spokesperson for AIDS Concern, Panda Cheung Yin-mei, told China Daily that Grindr ‘is one of the factors that are contributing to the record high levels of infections’. More worryingly, Cheung says attempts to engage with Grindr in order to work together to send a safe-sex message through the app have been obstructed by the American company. "Grindr is a money-making software," says Cheung. "They have tightened monitoring of users and they don't welcome NGOs doing outreach on the Grindr networks. Once they find a phone number is an NGO number, they block the number so the NGO cannot do it again." Cheung added that the problem in Hong Kong is more serious than in other parts of the world where Grindr is popular because of the absence of sex education in schools.

A Grindr spokeman told a local Chinese newspaper: "Grindr strongly encourages our users to engage in safe sex practices, get tested and know their HIV status."