What do the Golden Girls, syphilis, and Tinder have in common? Dr. Chris Mackie explains

Frustrated by a rise in infection rates of preventable sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, London's chief medical officer pulled out the big guns yesterday: A reference to the late 1980s hit sitcom The Golden Girls. 

Dr. Chris Mackie, medical officer of health of the Middlesex-London Health Unit, tweeted a meme of the show's late star Bea Aurthur saying "Condoms, Condoms, Condoms!"

The tweet included stats that show a recent rise in Ontario-wide infection rates for the sexually transmitted infections (STIs):

• Chlamydia up 20 per cent.
• Gonorrhea up 67 per cent.
• Syphilis up 50 per cent.

In an interview with CBC News, Mackie said infection rates in London mirror the provicewide stats.

Since it was posted just after 3 p.m. ET Tuesday, Mackie's tweet has more than 70 likes. 

A Twitter user asked Mackie if he knew what factors explain the rise.

His reply? "Yep. Tinder."

He said the popular dating app gives people easier access to sex.

"You're seeing smartphone apps and a lot of online dating where people are having a lot of sex and often it's unprotected," he said. 

Another factor? 

When the AIDS epidemic began in the early 1980s, an HIV infection often amounted to a death sentence. 

Since the mid-1990s, improvements in medical advances have made the disease manageable. 

'People are less afraid of sex'

The downside?

"People are less afraid of sex," said Mackie. 

Chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea can be treated with antibiotics, but they can also have severe side effects. 

And although treatment is straightforward, it adds to the strain on the medical system. 

"Condoms are the way to prevent the spread of this infection," said Mackie. 

Mackie also said many young people are opting to throw caution to the wind when it comes to their health.

"I'm worried that we're seeing a trend with higher risk behaviours with youth in general," he said.