Online Dating Safety Tips for Positive Singles

Dating online is popular and you can meet your soulmate online despite who you are and where you are from. But the prerequisite is, you must follow community guidelines and keep in mind safety tips for dating online. Below is a list of advice from MyPositiveSingles dedicated to people who’re dating with herpes, HIV, HPV, etc. on the website.

While Getting to Know Somebody Online

Do some reverse image search on your potential date

Love at first sight is romantic. But it is wiser to keep your affection under control because appearances can be deceiving. Especially when someone has only one profile picture on the dating site, you’d better do some reverse image search first to see if that person is catfishing or not. If you can find them on social media, such as Instagram, that is even better to make a sound judgment.

Avoid talking to suspicious profiles

Suspicious profiles are profiles with so little information about themselves. They upload no face pictures or don’t post pictures on their profiles. Their bios are too short and general to sound like a person who wants to have a sincere relationship. Although it can be that they’re just discreet, MyPositiveSingles still advises you to avoid them unless they start to sound like a human and offer more information about themselves.

Don’t send money to anyone

Romance scams are prevalent in the world of online dating. It sounds scary but you can prevent them. The bottom line here is to not send money to anyone, no matter how convincing their excuses can be or how much you like that person. Even if they promise you some tempting returns, don’t give them anything and stop talking to them immediately. You know, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Don’t be silly and please check out the tips on avoiding online dating scams written by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Don’t share your personal information

MyPositiveSingles will never ask for your password, credit card information, phone number, home/work addresses, etc. You should not share your personal information with anyone under any conditions. If you receive suspicious links that require login, please close them immediately and report those persons.

Report or block accounts that act inappropriately to you

When you feel uncomfortable during your conversation, you can tell the person or ignore him/her. But if they keep harassing you with endless messages, you can block or report them. Inappropriate behaviors include:

  • sending you explicit photos without consent
  • requesting financial help
  • depicting violence content or minors
  • trying to threaten you or harm you
  • selling you products or services

While dating online, you should protect yourself if you feel uncomfortable. Trust your instinct and stay away from those who give you a bad feeling.

While Meeting in Person

Video chat before your first date

Before your first date, you should video chat to see if your potential partner is the person he/she claims to be. By doing so, it saves you from the embarrassment of meeting a catfisher who looks totally different from his/her pictures on the dating site. If the person refuses to video chat with you, that can be a sign of a fake account. You should consider canceling this meet-up.

Tell your dating plans to someone you trust

Given limited information about your potential date online, your meet-ups can be uncertain despite how much you’re longing for it. In order to keep safe, it’s better to share your dating plans with someone you trust. Of course, there is no need to share all the details, however, information, such as your dating places, a screenshot of your date’s profile, when to start and come back, etc. are necessary to be shared with your close friend or family.

Meet in a public place

Public places are the best locations for your first or first few dates. Open spaces allow both of you to feel safe during the meet-up. And even better, you can leave freely or ask for help whenever you feel uncomfortable. If someone insists on meeting you in private places, he/she might have a hidden agenda, which is a big red-flag.

Don’t accept anything for free

Your date will probably suggest picking you up or offering you a free ride home. Don’t accept it during your first date or when you don’t think you know this person very well. The same thing goes with not accepting the drinks your date prepares for you before you are there. It is important to have things under control while you’re dating a stranger. You should be independent to travel safely and refuse those small generosity.

Trust your instinct

When you meet your date in person, if you feel uncomfortable or you don’t have much chemistry, trust your instinct. You don’t have to force yourself to be there.

Sexual Health and Consent

Sexual consent

You should never feel forced to have sex with anybody. Do it because you want it and you feel happy about it. Communication is the key to having sexual consent. Let your partner know your boundaries and say no to things that make you uncomfortable.

Practice safe sex

You’ll meet people in the same situation on MyPositiveSingles. That’s perfect. There are no more worries about the conversation and prejudices. But you’re always required to practice safe sex. Asking for your date’s latest STI(s) test is not embarrassing. More importantly, using condoms in the right way greatly reduces your chance to catch a different strain of herpes, HIV, or any other STI(s).