B&TB&TB&T
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Search
Trending topics:
  • Cairns Crocodiles
  • Nine
  • Seven
  • Cannes Lions
  • NRL
  • AFL
  • WPP
  • State of Origin
  • B&T Women in Media
  • Thinkerbell
  • Pinterest
  • imaa
  • Anthony Albanese
  • Meta
  • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • ARN
  • Foxtel
  • TV Ratings
  • Radio Ratings
  • Sports Marketing

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
Reading: Opinion: When Tinder Takes A swipe At Australia’s Sexual Health, We Need To Talk About It
Share
B&TB&T
Subscribe
Search
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
B&T > Opinion > Opinion: When Tinder Takes A swipe At Australia’s Sexual Health, We Need To Talk About It
Opinion

Opinion: When Tinder Takes A swipe At Australia’s Sexual Health, We Need To Talk About It

Staff Writers
Published on: 4th September 2023 at 10:27 AM
Staff Writers
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

As the B&T editorial staff attest, sexual health is no laughing matter. In this opinion piece co-founder of Stigma Health James Sneddon grinds his axe about Tinder’s advertising choices.

Sexual health. I know it’s not the usual topic you see in B&T but hey, it’s 2023, it’s World Sexual Health Day, we’re body positive, into sex positivity, inclusivity and watching influencers promote their favourite vibrator on Instagram. You’re probably working on a brief right now in the category.

We’ve come a long way, baby. Or have we?

As co-founder of Stigma Health I have been in the business of sexual health since 2016, with over 30,000 patients and counting. As Australia’s largest sexual health clinic group, we know a lot about Aussie sex lives and the associated myths and misconceptions.

I think we’ve all become accustomed to the fact that social platforms control a lot of what we see but when they start playing hide and seek with the sexual health of Australians by censoring important community marketing messages, I get a little pissed off.

We approached Tinder to run some ads for our online STI Tests. Why? Because whether you’re on dating apps looking for love or a ONS, sex will most likely be involved.

Putting my PSA hat on for a minute, every time you have a new relationship or sexual partner, you should get an STI Test!

The traditional process of STI testing makes the process daunting and awkward – fronting up to a doctor is a massive turn-off. So much so that many people opt-out. This sweep-it-under-the-rug approach is endangering our private bits, and our health. In fact, the most recent data* shows 1 in 25 people aged 15-29 had chlamydia in 2021, but less than one third received a diagnosis. And did you know there are an estimated 2,630 Australians unknowingly living with HIV^.

They’re some pretty serious stats that we want to help turn around.

Our solution is a virtual service that skips face-to-face conversations and a bulk-bill option that removes cost as an issue. Test results are then delivered to your phone via an app within a couple of days. We’re smashing barriers to accessible healthcare and biases around sexual health and this is a great story to tell!

So, what did Tinder say about our desire to promote STI tests on their platform? They swiped LEFT.

Their reason? Advertising sexual health checks reinforces the stigma of Tinder being a hook-up platform.

And yes, they are making huge assumptions that only people who are regularly hooking up are at risk of STI acquisition. Their recent brand positioning work was all about re-framing modern dating so they can’t just consciously uncouple from sexual health being a big part of this conversation.

Our heads are spinning, but maybe you read this as part of the industry and aren’t surprised given the
power social platforms hold?

Sexual health is one of Australia’s biggest health concerns and is part of sexual wellbeing, overall health and also affects mental health.

By refusing to acknowledge the realities of sexually transmitted infections and the need for education and regular testing to keep people safe and healthy, I believe strongly that Tinder fails their duty of care to protect its community, members and app users.

This kind of attitude stigmatises sexual health as a taboo topic rather than an important health issue that deserves attention, resources, and solutions-based approaches as much as any other.

Given the rise of non-traditional relationship models like ENM and poly (seen often on Tinder profiles) – there’s more reason than ever for people in committed relationships, whatever their parameters, to embrace sexual health testing.

We can’t help but wonder about the ethics of promoting people coming together, without educating
them to do it safely.

STI testing is vital to identify infection, treat, and stop the spread. We’d be interested in seeing the number of STI infections coming from Tinder matches, but that kind of data doesn’t exist. It seems Tinder is not sex-positive, and they might be a little bit ashamed about their reputation in facilitating S-E-X meetups, casual lovers or new fuck buddies.

Shout out to our friends at Grindr who are way more progressive and run our ads to help promote sexual
health.

We’re advocating for all dating apps to stop perpetuating antiquated views on sex and STIs and get with the times by reminding their communities to stay healthy, protect themselves and each other.

Spread love, not STIs – even on Tinder.

Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts
Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

No related posts.

TAGGED: sexual health, Tinder
Share
Staff Writers
By Staff Writers
Follow:
Staff Writers represent B&T's team of award-winning reporters. Here, you'll find articles crafted with industry experience spanning over 50 years. Our team of specialists brings together a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to delivering insightful, topical, and breaking news. With a deep understanding of advertising and media, our Staff Writers are dedicated to providing industry-leading analysis and reporting, both shaping the conversation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

Latest News

Agency Scorecard: Special
09/07/2025
Agency Scorecard: iProspect
09/07/2025
Meet Adland’s Best Number-Whisperers In The Best Of The Best Data Scientists!
09/07/2025
State Vs State, Campaign Vs Campaign: Brands Go Head-To-Head In The Origin Decider
09/07/2025
//

B&T is Australia’s leading news publication magazine for the advertising, marketing, media and PR industries.

 

B&T is owned by parent company The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.

About B&T

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise

Top Categories

  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • TV Ratings

Sign Up for Our Newsletter



B&TB&T
Follow US
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?