Online Hookups Blamed For Jump In Sexually Transmitted Disease

November 17, 2011 1:15 PM

St. Louis Health Director Pam Walker

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ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The accelerated pace of cyber courtship is getting part of the blame for an increase in sexually transmitted diseases.

“You don’t have to spend a week in a bar to find somebody you’re comfortable with,” said St. Louis Health Director Pam Walker, “People are doing it online and they’re doing it faster.”

Walker says 90 percent of the some 400 new cases of gonorrhea and 126 new cases of chlamydia are African Americans between the ages of 15-to-24.

New numbers released today by the CDC also show 18 new cases of syphilis. Gay men who know they are HIV positive account for the all of the new syphilis cases, Walker said.

“Two people who know their status and know they are positive for HIV feel like they can have sex without a condom, because they’re already infected,” Walker said, “And what they’re doing is giving each other syphilis.”

With syphilis up 46 percent, gonorrhea up 31 percent and chlamydia up three-percent, Walker says none of the increases appear linked to any cutbacks in health department spending.

“I have not cut communicable disease control in the five years that I’ve been director,” Walker said.

Without yet calling for funding increases, Walker warns that reducing STDs could be an expensive public policy problem.

“If I put 20 disease investigators in the field and they followed those 55 people around who have syphilis, could I probably get rid of it?” Walker asked, “Yeah, but that would cost about $400,000.”

Walker is calling on private providers and community clinics to help her locate the sex partners of people with known sexual diseases. She points to a new law in the state — the Expedited Partner Therapy law — that allows for clinics to dispense enough antibiotics to a known carrier of gonorrhea , chlamydia or syphilis to give anonymously to sexual partners to treat them.

“If you have gonorrhea, then your partner probably has gonorrhea,” Walker said, “I need to talk to that partner and find out if they have three other partners, or we never break the chain.” Walker says

Of particular concern among the three STDs on the increase, chlamydia shows no symptoms and if left untreated in women, it can lead to infertility. Based a national CDC study, Walker estimates that one in three women in the city may be infected with chlamydia.

Copyright KMOX

Online Hookups Blamed For Jump In Sexually Transmitted Disease

heatherfeather

Not a surprise, since many of these sites cater to people who want to get laid now instead of establishing a meaningful relationship.

My well of sympathy ran dry long ago.

Jack

“You don’t have to spend a week in a bar to find somebody your comfortable with,”

Nice grammar error. It’s “you’re”, not “your”

Republicrat

Jack’s own post has at least two errors in it.
ALJ

Really? Do you have a life?

Fanny Forbes Franklen

How about careless people driven by hormones instead?

http://911essentials.com
Big

I think god wants humans to have std’s why else would ge make everyone want sex so bad?

him and his mysterious ways lol

Dana

GE doesn’t make me want to have sex at all. In fact, they make me want to puke. Mysterious doesn’t even begin to describe their ways of paying 0 taxes on $41B in profit.

G

Well because by purchasing tax free muni bonds they help build roads hospitals airports and schools….what most people think is built with tax money is really built with investment thru tax free muni’s …Smart people know this but know they can make dumb people play into their hands and demand that the govt get that money themselves…..thats why 3rd world countries dont have good roads or hospitals..no investment… Their leaders take all the money>>THATS WHAT WE ARE FACING HERE>>>>BE SMART
Duh

What does this have to do with the price of tea?

RJ

–”You don’t have to spend a week in a bar to find somebody your comfortable with,” said St. Louis Health Director Pam Walker, “–

Can we PLEASE introduce a level of proofreading in online publications consistent with at least high school levels? “your” and “you’re” are totally different words, with different meanings. Please learn them.

pat

Amen to that! I can’t stand it when “professionals” make this stupid mistake. It calls their educational credentials into question.

Justin

hey pat you dumba**, its the writer quoting walker who made the grammatical error. So what does that have to do with her educational credentials?
Brian

@Justin are you slow?
dood

Justin the genius.

That comment was taken verbally by the reporter so it is the reporter that made the error going from spoken word to written.

Oh and by the way, in your comment you should have written “it’s” not “its” you literary marvel you. Maybe you should apply for a job at CBS.
Retired SOF guy

When was the last time reporters were “professionals?” I don’t think it’s a coincidence the journalism is the least academically rigorous degree at any college, followed closely by education.

george

Walker says 90 percent of the some 400 new cases of gonorrhea and 126 new cases of chlamydia are African Americans between the ages of 15-to-24.

New numbers released today by the CDC also show 18 new cases of syphilis. Gay men who know they are HIV positive account for the all of the new syphilis cases, Walker said.

ablecynic

Obama’s base for 2012.
JWM

Anal intercourse also spreads anal cancer. This is part of the gay deathstyle. When SCOTUS in Johnson v Texas legalized sodomy , we see the results now. AIDS and other STDs in gay men is a growing problem.

Your PalBob

Are we supposed to be surprised or feel sorry for these schmucks? Nah.
Michael McClary

Getting tested for STDs is easier than ever. Just check out any online site. No one has to know and it won’t even show up on your health record. Try http://www.stdtestingservices.com for one.

Andrew Gibson

Excellent advice! STD Testing truly is easier than ever now…it’s just the stigma that is keeping people from getting it. My advice to anyone who is sexually active is to make it a regular part of your medical routine, just like an annual checkup. It’s simple: practice safe sex, get tested regularly depending on how active you are, and only get involved with people who do the same. I personally know the company that you referenced and theyare so helpful. Even if you aren’t sure you need to be tested, you can always call them and just get information and advice.

Van Wehrle

Ahh so it’s the internet’s fault. lol

Just like guns randomly firing and murdering people and cars driving themselves drunk.

Eliseo

2 etrifls are 2 etrifls are washeable and make the HEPA last longer. The negative ion, UV, and Tio2 do not get cleaned as they work to eradicate germs, viruses, etc.

The Duke

Having sex with anyone under 25 yrs old is just asking for a STD
Міша

What idiot spells “you are” as “your”?

Joyce Dorsey

No one is asking you to feel anything. Information is just being passed out. Do not think for one moment that white people are not getting infected as well African-American got caught up in the hype fallacy about HIV/AIDS. Gays were supposed to to be the only ones infected.

Labeling is terrible. What I am surprised about is you calling these individuals Schmucks. I feel more sorry about how you portray yourself Your PalBob!

Snitch-in-Time

Wate until the #OWS numbers come in. I predict “occupiers” will be the new top group.

Amerikan Patriot

The only things the OWS are occupying now is jail and each others body cavities! lol
Joyce Dorsey

WOW1

dump28usn

Anyone who has sex with someone they met on the internet should get an STD!
http://justkhaotic.com/?p=740 Online Hookups Blamed For Spike In Sexually Transmitted Disease Among African-Americans

[...] Read More. Filed Under: black health, Black Women, black youth, Lifestyle Tagged With: African Americans [...]
j

I got clamydia 2 times. thanks facebook.

Thomas Friederp

I got herpes twice this week.

walter12

Remember what they used to say, buyer beware. If these people are going to be so stupid to do this type of thing, they deserve to suffer some.
who’s counting

high-school level is a compound adjective and level should not be plural….
David Axelrod

“……..somebody your comfortable with,”

You can tell the “journalist” who wrote this article is a product of America’s horrendous government/union schools. They’re too dumb to know “your” from “you’re”. America is doomed!
nickinva

Since employers now are free to charge smokers more for health insurance, if they don’t refuse to hire them in the first place, perhaps they should also run a check on craigslist to see if any of their employees or job applicants post or respond to hookup ads there.
infidel

keep in mind, this study was done in st. louis. the demographical data will be skewed– not reflective of national statistics.

Joyce Dorsey

wow! t The mentality of some folks sure came out at this site. WOW1

Michael Waggener

“You don’t have to spend a week in a bar to find somebody your comfortable with,”

I’m sorry, isn’t this a newspaper? Shouldn’t that be “…find somebody YOU’RE comfortable with”?
bearcat

arafat had one of those. I guess sura didn’t have much to do with him. All the billions he stole didn’t help.
kelly

I got an STD from the IRS
http://kentuckynewsjournal.com/online-hookups-blamed-for-jump-in-sexually-transmitted-disease-%c2%ab-cbs-st-louis/ Online Hookups Blamed For Jump In Sexually Transmitted Disease « CBS St. Louis | Kentucky News Journal

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alw

Quote: “You don’t have to spend a week in a bar to find somebody your comfortable with,” said St. Louis Health Director Pam Walker…

Your? How about you’re instead.

The grammar police done struck again.
Mike99

Well, after your STD test you can always test for pregnancy online:

http://thepregnancytester.com/