Meet Positives CEO Jack Lombardi Addresses Criticisms Lobbied at STD Dating Websites

Chicago, Illinois -

Ever since STD dating websites have found an audience, internet users have raised concerns that they are at best exclusionary and at worst profiteering off the sufferings of STD-positive singles. Jack Lombardi, CEO of the fastest growing STD dating platform in the country MeetPositives.com, disagrees. He is answering critics who claim that STD dating websites counterintuitively end up reinforcing the stigma that STD-positive singles face.

Jack talks about the value that STD dating websites add to the lives of their members by saying, “We have often heard the concern that the nature of STD dating sites inherently segregates STD-positive singles from the broader dating pool. Critics say that the existence of these platforms implies that their members are not worthy of love and admiration from the general population. We find this argument to be very disingenuous. It brushes aside our members’ harrowing real-life dating experiences. Many of them report repeated heartbreak when they connect with someone on dating websites and eventually bring up their positive status in a difficult conversation which we call “The Talk.” They even feel wrecked by the guilt that they may pass on the virus to their partners, even if they are asymptomatic. Thus, for our members, STD dating websites such as ours are the silver lining in a life that has been made exceedingly complicated by their diagnosis. Every time that we hear the stories of the many lives that the Meet Positives platform has changed for the better, it strengthens our resolve to keep doing what we do best.”

Jack also comments on the difficulty that not having access to like-minded potential mates poses for STD-positive singles by saying, “Our members report a subtle, or even sometimes overt, exclusion by their dating prospects on larger apps. This saps their self-worth. Confidence is one of the key factors of loving someone and also feeling like one is worthy of being loved. If you start a relationship dreading sharing your intimate details due to the fear of rejection, you’ll never build up that confidence. Moreover, STD-positive singles end up feeling more demoralized with every failed attempt at finding love. Even if they are upfront about their condition on the bigger dating sites, the ground truth for most of our members is that they land very few matches as the world has not yet overcome the fear and stigma that it reserves for those who are unlucky enough to live with an STD. Even if some of our critics, who are themselves diagnosed with an STI, report no such discrimination on dating websites, that is not representative of the general experience for all STD-positive singles. This is abundantly clear to us as we hear our members’ difficulties dating challenges over and over again.”

Meet Positive’s Michael Task then chimes in to address the concerns that STD dating sites exploit a vulnerable population by saying, “We do acknowledge that there are a few websites out there whose sole aim is to make a profit and capitalize on our members’ struggles. However, Meet Positives has been built from the ground up to be an inviting and accepting community first. We aim to give people the feeling of comfort and belonging that comes with knowing that their problems are not unique. We have fostered a safe space by providing our members with a plethora of resources such as member stories, blog posts, news, and more to help them hear from others who are going through the same trials and tribulations. This helps them become comfortable with their medical condition and look for genuine connections from a place of assurance. We also place a lot of importance on the security of our users’ data. We don’t sell, rent, or disclose your information to websites that want to use it to serve you ads or sell you products.”

Meet Positives has made available helpful resources about the platform in a Google folder that interested readers are encouraged to visit.

SOURCE: Press Advantage [Link]