WikiLeaks founder charged with unprotected sex

Julian Assange, who has an Interpol notice out for his arrest, is charged not with rape but with failure to use a condom during sex, Slate reports.

Until recently, news organizations said that the 39-year-old Australian was wanted on a rape charge in Sweden. Assange, who has lately been under fire from U.S. government officials for leaking tens of thousands of sensitive diplomatic cables, is now wanted for what Swedish law calls “sex by surprise.”

Even with consent, having unprotected sex in the Scandinavian country may result in a fine, due to the risk of the transmission of sexual infections, the news source said.

It adds that the charges stem from a trip Assange took in August, during which he had unprotected sex with two women.

While the charge has been called “surreal” by Assange’s lawyer, the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) rises sharply during unprotected sex. Individuals who have engaged in such behavior and who believe they have contracted an STD may consider purchasing online testing services.

In the U.S., approximately 19 million new STD infections occur every year, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.