Women who meet someone online more likely to have their guard down

According to a survey published in the US journal Sexuality Research and Social Policy, and reported in News.com, women who meet dates online are more likely to have a sexual encounter on the first date--75% of them without the use of a condom, a risky behavior in an age of STDs.

Felicity Percival, editor of Women’s Health magazine noted that "when talking to someone online over a period of time, it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security." In other words participants can feel that they know the individual better than they actually do.

The online blog Switched concurred:

According to the survey, having extended or multiple conversations with a person online can decrease the tension and general awkwardness that accompanies a first date. The sense of familiarity [...] will make a person more likely to cast off better judgment.

News reports did not divulge the age range of the women in the study but social network audiences are predominantly young adults. That is not to say that STDs are not a concern for older singles as well. According to the CDC, "People 45, 50 and older are "experiencing staggering increases in STD transmission."