This morning , the Twitterverse was abuzz with cite of Facebook and syphilis . The Sunpublished “ Sex diseases soar due to Facebook walkaway ” ( accord toThe Guardian , the original headline was “ Facebook spreads syphilis ” ) . So what ’s this all about ?
Obviously , a connection site can not “ spread ” a sexually hereditary transmission ( STI ) such as syphilis , which is transmitted through vaginal sex , oral sex and anal sex .
Well , apparently a public health official from the NHS comment that immature people in the field most affected by syphilis were 25 % more likely to lumber on to Facebook than young people in other areas of the land . It is also claimed that several of the approximately 30 people in one domain who contract syphilis had met cooperator through social networking website , such as Facebook . unluckily , it is this notion , thanks to sensationalist diarist practices , that Facebook can propagate pox that become right smart more viral than syphilis itself .
Clearly , there could be several other thing pop off on here : perhaps these individual use the reckoner more often overall , or use a variety of web site to meet people , or else they utilize all sorts of resourcefulness at their electric pig to meet people for sexuality ( not just Facebook but also bars , party , etc ) . Were these things assessed in the written report ? It was n’t cite .
Ever since the early days of the Internet , various entanglement sites have become easy scape goats for sex - electronegative claims , such as scary stories about how citizenry fit sexual urge partners through the Internet and then big things occur . However , seldom is the good of the Internet mentioned in this regard .
Do web sites , especially societal networking web land site and dating web land site and casual sexuality internet site , make it easier for the great unwashed to feel each other for romantic and/or sexual brush ? Of course they do . And this is often a positive thing for those involved and does not always ensue in STI transmission .
What people often overlook is that these same sites can also make it easier for public health professionals to give chase a burgeoning epidemic and stop it before it capture out of hand . Before the cyberspace , if you were limit to meet people at bars , you may have make out very little about them if you chose to have a nonchalant sexual encounter with them . Maybe you did n’t even screw their first or last name or how to get in pinch with them .
However , let ’s say you do suffer someone through Facebook and then you arrange to run across . A week or two after the coming upon , you find that your genitals feel curious or that you have discharge , or maybe you just determine to go in an get examine as you had a new partner recently ( good for you for getting test ! ) . Let ’s say that you then find out you have an STI , such as syphilis . Guess what ? you may now give chase down that person , should you choose to ( and I hope you do ) , and let them bed that they should get quiz for syphilis , too .
Facebook and other social networking site have the voltage to make STI partner notification programs that much easier – and that ’s a good thing .
Many wellness department have mate presentment programs , especially for infections such as syphilis , chlamydia , gonorrhea and HIV that they are in particular disturbed about spread out . Often these programs have in mind that if you test positive for an contagion and do n’t want to get through your past tense or present partner yourself , you’re able to give your healthcare supplier the contact information of your past / present partner(s ) and they will call those mass for you . They will NOT give your name but they may say something along the lines of “ You have been identified as a possible intimate impinging of someone who recently tested prescribed for ( fill in the blank shell with the STI you tested confirming for ) . ” They then often pop the question STI examination to that individual . Cool , huh ?
To me , the bottom line has nothing to do with Facebook . It goes back to the basics .
Get tested for STIs if you are :
– about to have sexual practice with a fresh mate
– have not been tested since your last new cooperator
– have had unprotected vaginal gender , anal retentive sex or unwritten sex with someone whose STI history you do not know
– if you feel you have any other risk cistron
– if you consider your partner may have had sex with someone else since being with you
– if you just want to know . It does n’t hurt to get tested for STIs on occasion , even if you are pretty certain that you and your partner are monogamous and not having sex with anyone else .
And permit ’s not fault Facebook for everything now , shall we ?
Dr. Debby Herbenick , author ofBecause It feel in force : A Woman ’s guidebook to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction , is the Associate Director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion in the School of Health , Physical Education and Recreation at Indiana University ( IU ) where she is a Research Scientist . She is also a sexual wellness pedagog at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex , Gender and Reproduction where she publish ( and host audio podcasts of ) the Kinsey Confidential column and coordinates educational programming . She has a Ph.D. in Health Behavior from IU , a Master ’s academic degree in Public Health Education ( also from IU ) and a bachelor-at-arms ’s stage in psychological science from the University of Maryland , College Park . In addition , she is certified as a Sexuality Educator from the American Association of Sex Educators , Counselors and Therapists .
Debby writes veritable gender column for Men ’s Health magazine , Time Out Chicago magazine , Velocity , Cheeky Chicago , Psychology Today and she has also write for Glamour magazine .
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