By M.Christian

YNOT – Despite shuttering its adult services sections in 2010, Craigslist — a self described community-moderated classifieds and forums site — continues to find itself under a microscope where sexuality is concerned.

According to a study recently published by Jason Chan of the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University and Anindya Ghose of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Craigslist may contribute to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

The title of the report pretty much says it all: “Internet’s Dirty Secret: Assessing the Impact of Technology Shocks on the Outbreaks of Sexually Transmitted Diseases.”

“The entry of Craigslist produces a transformative shift in casual sex-seeking behavior,” the authors note in their report, claiming a correlation between the advent of Craigslist and a 14-percent increase in AIDS cases and an 18.8 percent increase in syphilis cases. “The ease of seeking sex partners through Craigslist’s personal ad listings brought a culture of sexual openness to the younger generation not seen since the seventies.”

Although the study was accomplished prior to the closure of Craigslist’s adult services sections, the authors said they were careful to segregate ads seeking casual sexual encounters from those offering sex for sale. The study dealt only with the casual ads, they noted.

Among their conclusions, Chan and Ghose point out that since Craigslist is geographically specific, the medium lends itself to casual — and risky — connections.

“The ease of posting feeless ads requesting … casual sex encourages the development of promiscuous behaviors within locations served by Craigslist,” the authors conclude.

As might be expected, beleaguered Craigslist has declined to comment about the research.
Chan and Ghose offer no suggestions about how to fix what they evidently perceive as a public health issue. In fact, they point out that even if the popular site were closed completely, something else would spring up in its place.

“The issue has to do with instant gratification,” the authors noted. “The platform itself probably encourages such behavior, but the individual themselves [sic] has to make the right choices.”