The Tinder Factor: The REAL Risks Of Risque Rendezvous

Just as people were becoming more cautious about casual sexual encounters like anonymous sex and one-night stands, Tinder blew up on the "dating" scene, and people stopped being quite as cautious about risky rendezvous. 

No one is saying you have to be a total prude when dating these days. Just because you're being careful doesn't mean that you have to take a vow of celibacy. You just have to use some common sense. For instance ...

Skip the drugs and booze. These include such things as drug and/or alcohol filled parties where you don't know a lot of people. While raves are usually attended largely by teenage and college-aged kids, there are many adults that like to pretend that they're still teenagers. A lot of drugs are mood enhancers and act as aphrodisiacs. When you're high and horny, you're not going to be thinking about such things as condoms.

Wrap it up. Pregnancy isn't the only thing you have to worry about when it comes to casual sex. There's also the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). These run the gamut, from minor tempororary discomfort (like crabs) to infections that never go away (herpes). Some are even deadly, like human papillomavirus (HPV). Your random romp in the sack is the equivalent of playing Russian roulette. 

Know thy partner. Anonymous hookups can be exciting and even fun, but it can also be one of the more risky behaviors anyone can engage in. You have no clue about the person you're having sex with, and a lot of the encounters don't even involve condoms. Worst-case scenario: Your hookup is a rapist or a a serial killer.   

Bottom line: If you decide that your type of sex simply has to be kinky and risky, use some sort of protection against exchanging bodily fluids, even though it may not be 100 percent effective at protecting you against an STD, it's better than nothing. And always make sure someone knows where you're going. You certainly don't want to become a victim of something simply because you wanted a little excitement.