Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

People are turning to 'Dr. Google,' Reddit for help on medical diagnoses — even for STDs

People are turning to 'Dr. Google,' Reddit for help on medical diagnoses — even for STDs

Crowd-diagnosis, when people seek out medical diagnoses through social media, has increased dramatically in the past year, according to new research published in JAMA. Researchers said they’ve seen a significant spike in posts regarding STDs on Reddit since November 2018, with the number of posts nearly doubling. People may feel more comfortable reaching out to strangers through a screen rather than an in-person visit, but doctors warned of the implications.
More people are turning to “Dr. Google,” Reddit and other forms of social media for medical advice, increasingly seeking help and posting photos online of various ailments -including pictures of sexually transmitted diseases, according to new research published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Crowd-diagnosis, when people seek out medical diagnoses through social media, has increased dramatically in the past year, researchers said, and it appears to be replacing visits to physicians to receive proper care.

“Online someone can post a picture yet remain mostly anonymous,” said Dr. Eric Leas, a professor at the University of California, San Diego involved with the research. “This can overcome some of the embarrassment that might come with going to ask a doctor.”

STDs are at an all-time high and visits to clinics have risen, said Dr. Davey Smith, a study co-author and chief of infectious diseases and global public health at UC San Diego.

“But statistically we should be seeing more. Shame or a lack of access means many are missing an opportunity to get professional, life-saving help,” he said in the report.

While many patients often turn to Dr. Google for health advice, researchers found that people are increasingly going to social media for help because “people also want a sense of connection,” said Dr. Alicia Nobles, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego.

Researchers combed through a subsection of social media giant Reddit, called r/STD, that’s dedicated to sexually transmitted diseases and has more than 10,000 members. After looking at posts from November 2010 through February 2019, they saw a significant spike in the section’s posts since November 2018, with the number of posts nearly doubling in the past year, the researchers added.

Fifty-eight percent of all posts on r/STD were explicitly requesting help with a crowd-diagnosis, researchers said. Of that, 31% of the posts included a photo of symptoms for reference, they added.

People may feel more comfortable reaching out to strangers through a screen rather than an in-person visit, but doctors involved in the study warned of the implications.

“Social media was not built to deliver health care,” Nobles, who co-led the study, said in an email. “Currently, we don’t know if STDs, or other health issues, can be accurately diagnosed online, especially since people’s requests vary in the information they provide.”

A misdiagnosis could lead to people not receiving necessary treatment, which “could result in greater harm to themselves or passing an infection along to others,” she added.

The rise in posts comes at the same time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia reached an all-time highs, though researchers couldn’t say whether the surge in people seeking advice on Reddit was linked to the spread in disease.

“There is a public health imperative for correct diagnoses and proper treatment,” Leas added.

People are drawn to the anonymity, since they don’t have to interact with a doctor, and the convenience, Leas said. Nearly 90% of people received responses to their questions and most of those were within the day, he added.

“Although crowd-diagnoses have the benefits of anonymity, speed, and multiple opinions, many are wildly inaccurate,” said Dr. Christopher Longhurst, UC San Diego Health professor and study co-author, in a press release.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×