Nowadays most singles have tried online and mobile dating, and 1 in 10 partnered adults met on a dating site or app (Pew Research, 2023). It’s not all good news and wedding bells, though. Research has found a correlation with a rise in STDs in the U.S.
Fortunately, some dating sites and apps are on a mission to make the dating environment safer and more respectable for positive singles. How do they do that? By creating dating sites for people with STDs. These singles may find general dating networks challenging to navigate — and welcome the opportunity to date someone who knows exactly what it’s like to test positive for herpes, hepatitis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or other STDs.
PositiveSingles.com is one of the largest online communities for “STD positive singles.” Since 2001, the niche dating site has given singles a platform to spread love without fear, judgment, or deception. In this article, we’ve reviewed the key features of PositiveSingles to help you decide if it’s the right place to find romance. If not, we’ve also put together reviews of three alternative dating sites for active daters on the prowl.
PositiveSingles Is Welcoming & Supportive, But Most Features Aren’t Free (4.0/5.0 Rating)
PositiveSingles is a private dating site designed for singles who have tested positive for an STD. Since launching in 2001, it has offered much-needed support to a specific dating community. The site has helped STD-positive singles feel seen and supported instead of shut out by the broader dating world.
Our dating experts have given PositiveSingles a star rating of 4.0 because it’s a reliable and trustworthy dating platform to meet people, but it’s not perfect. While the dating site boasts having over 2.3 million registered members, it sees 15,000+ active members a day. PositiveSingles doesn’t have the most active dating pool ever, but, if you live in a big city, it might get the job done.
You can sign up to the site or download the app to get a feel for the interface and search for potential matches. Everyone on PositiveSingles chooses a username rather than posting their real names, and photos are optional, so the niche site is an anonymous place to explore your dating options.
Note: You’re required to list which STD you’re living with on your profile. This information will show up on your profile along with your height, ethnicity, and relationship status.
Looking at it by the numbers, PositiveSingles has had a positive impact on the STD dating community. The dating site has facilitated over 120,000 daily conversations and posted over 60,000 dating success stories.
“We corresponded for about a month before meeting,” said one anonymous PositiveSingles member. “We have been together for six months now… he seems like a keeper.”
You can also read the site’s inspirational stories to get a sense of what other STD-positive people have gone through and how they overcame their diagnosis. Even if you don’t find a date on PositiveSingles, the user-generated blog, which lists over 500 encouraging posts, can help you feel less alone in your dating journey. Some people use this public forum to air their grievances or ask questions while others try to organize meetups for singles on PositiveSingles.
2 Other Options
PositiveSingles isn’t the right fit for everyone. The STD dating community is growing, but it still doesn’t offer the same reach as mainstream dating platforms that have built large audiences over time. For that reason, you may want to keep your options open and try a few more popular dating sites alongside or instead of PositiveSingles.
We highly recommend subscribing to Match if you’re looking for a serious relationship. Founded in 1995, it’s the oldest and most successful dating website in the world. As you can see in our review, we give Match 4.9/5.0 stars because it’s about as close to perfect as a dating site can get.
- Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships
- Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more
- Our Experts Say: “Match pairs a large dating pool with search filters specific enough to make that size useful rather than overwhelming.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Match doesn’t require users to put private health information such as their STD status on their dating profiles, so some singles may find themselves more comfortable with the open-ended setup. On Match, you can write as much or as little personal information as you like in your bio and keep your diagnosis to yourself until you’ve gotten to know and trust that special someone.
Next on our list is NaughtyCharm. Because we’re going to bet some singles with STDs are sexually active and looking for a potential match without many inhibitions. That’s what NaughtyCharm is for. This sex-oriented network boasts an 89% success rate at hooking singles up with a local date who shares similar preferences and desires.
- Relationships: Hookups, Chats
- Match System: Search by encounter, location, and more
- Our Experts Say: “NaughtyCharm is a premier hookup app where you can feel comfortable expressing your desires. Plus, it's free to join, browse, and flirt.”
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
NaughtyCharm is a safe, fun, and inclusive place to build your sexual confidence and find a partner to take to bed. Over 40,000 new members join every week, so you won’t run out of people to chat with any time soon.
“I have found my match here,” wrote Moonshine, an anonymous NaughtyCharm user. “He came down for a couple days recently, and our meeting went well from the moment we met at the airport.”
FAQs: How Much Does Positive Singles Cost?
Although the dating site is free to join, you’ll have to subscribe (it’s $19.95 a month for three months) if you want to start a conversation via live chat or read your private messages. Only paid members receive compatible match recommendations, can view new members, and see who liked their photos or answered their personal questions, among other perks. One-month memberships will auto-renew, but three-month and six-month memberships will not renew.
The chat feature is the main reason to upgrade to a gold membership. If you join PositiveSingles and enjoy the high-tech search filters and detailed profile setup, you might want to take the plunge to get a gold membership plan so you can actually talk to people online.
Is Positive Singles a Safe Dating Site?
PositiveSingles.com launched over 25 years ago, and it has garnered a good reputation for keeping fake profiles and bots at bay. It isn’t perfect, of course, and online daters should always be wary of romance scams when swiping online. But overall our dating experts rate Positive Singles as a safe place for STD singles to meet new people. Just make sure you’re practicing safe sex as well!
Online dating comes with real risks, but the free features on Positive Singles give you more control over who you meet, where you connect, and when you decide to take the next step.
If you run into any issues, you can reach Positive Singles customer service at 1-416-628-1072 or 1-888-702-1274 (Toll-Free) for help. The Help Center is available 24/7 and acts as a helpful resource for Positive Singles users looking for answers.
Stay Positive! The Best Dating Websites Are Open to Everyone
Taken as a whole, PositiveSingles.com is a fairly upbeat, secure, and efficient place for anyone struggling to date after testing positive for an STD. It’s not free, but it may be worth the cost to some daters. Our dating experts give a thumbs up to the site for its niche user base, in-depth profile setup, and supportive health-related resources. It’s one of our favorite positive dating sites.
However, not everyone feels comfortable being loud and proud about their health conditions to strangers on the web. We totally get it if you’d rather join a general dating service where your STD-status can stay on the down-low until you’re ready to share it with your partners. If you’re looking for like-minded connections, PositiveSingles is great, but if you’re looking for discretion, you may want to look elsewhere.
Mainstream dating sites will have a larger membership base and won’t pressure users to detail their private lives on public forums or profiles. Good luck and stay safe!
