Visual artist uses STD prevalence as motif

A painter and visual artist in the San Diego area recently announced an art opening for a series of works inspired by sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the U.S.

Daphne Hill's art collection is titled Venereal Narratives and Other Cautionary Tales, and the San Diego Entertainer Magazine reports that it is on display at the Planet Rooth Design Haus through February 25.

While few pieces actually depict the diseases that prompted their creation, Hill told the news source that the influence of STDs and the American culture of risky sexual behavior can be detected throughout.

Many of the works contain cut-out art of World War II-era pin-up girls, with titles like "Mark Chloe Chlamydia," "Harod Immanuel Vashti HIV," and "Chole E-coli."

Hill said that her art reveals how romance and sexual activity can lead to disastrous consequences. Risky sexual behavior and unprotected intercourse are some of the leading causes of STD transmission. Ultimately, many lives are ruined - or ended - by sexual infection.

Anyone who suspects that they have an STD may consider getting screened using online testing services.

In the U.S., more than 19 million people contract STDs every year, approximately half of whom are unaware of their infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.