Sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates are up in St. Louis, Missouri, leaving many residents to wonder why. Recently, CBS St. Louis spoke to Pam Walker, health director for the area, who believes that online hookups may be partially to blame for the increased number of infections. According to Walker, the anonymity that the internet offers mixed with common misunderstandings about how STDs are transmitted lead to unsafe sex.
“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,” said Walker, quoted by CBS, adding that “what they’re doing is giving each other syphilis.” The director continued by saying that it would be possible to send out investigators to determine the source of these STDs, but it would be costly, and funds are limited. Walker added that syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia are three infections that are on the rise.
According to Planned Parenthood, more than half of Americans experience an STD in their lifetime, this suggests that as numbers of these infections increase, so should efforts to reduce them.
Tags: HIV, st. louis, STD, stl, syphilis
