Slog - Comments on Our Stupid Country

Comment by Greg

Greg — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:16:13 -0800

I thought syphilis was "the French disease."

Comment by boxofbirds

boxofbirds — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:25:57 -0800

But Dan, you're only focusing on the negative and completely ignoring the 350 million Americans who didn't get chlamydia! And all thanks to Abstience Education!

Comment by boxofbirds

boxofbirds — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:28:26 -0800

Correction: "Abstinence Only Edumacation."

Comment by Paddy Mac

Paddy Mac — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:34:24 -0800

Rep. Waxman's investigation into "abstinence-only" education found one program teaching that "sweat and tears can transmit HIV." Obviously, the increase in the STD rates comes from life imitating education.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:34:38 -0800

Abstinence education is not just bad, it increases unwanted pregnancies and abortions, in addition to STDs.

That said, many male carriers of Chlamydia don't know they were infected by their female partners, especially if they got it on after a Christian music event or revival ...

Comment by Westside forever

Westside forever — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:38:11 -0800

Just another example of the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the Bushies and everything they stand for.

Will the people wake up in '08 and throw the bastards out? Don't be too surprised if they don't. Sadly, I think P.T. Barnum was all too right about us.

Comment by Jake

Jake — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:45:52 -0800

Abstinence education kills brain cells. Why not babies as well?

Comment by Good Christian

Good Christian — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:50:02 -0800

this must be a falsehood. Everyone knows that the 60's and 70's were the height of social diseases. It was Carter's fault, mostly.

Comment by Sargon Bighorn

Sargon Bighorn — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:59:39 -0800

I had no idea! Who are these people that are having sex? And I'm sure NONE of these people are in a sanctified holier-than-your-trash marriage. Only holy marriage is the protection from these diseases. Now that I'm married I don't get anything not even a cold.

Comment by gfrancie

gfrancie — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:05:00 -0800

#1, historically, syphilis is referred to as the disease of a nation's enemy. French disease, German disease, Italian disease. The Dutch called it the Portugese disease.
Slutty dirty Portugese.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:35:35 -0800

So are we supposed to call syphilis the Saudi disease, then?

Comment by 12th Man

12th Man — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:21:27 -0800

Woo-hoo! We're Number ONE!

In your FACE, Brazil & Indonesia!

Comment by NapoleonXIV

NapoleonXIV — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:34:59 -0800

To you, my heart cries out "Chlamydia!"

Comment by booji boy

booji boy — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:13:09 -0800

While it's sad news that measured rates have increased, the article clearly states that "[CDC officials] think the [chlamydia record] is largely a result of better and more intensive screening."

Also, the headline is sensationalist. (I thought Dan looked down on that sort of thing, but I guess not.) It is the per capita rate that is most pertinent, and from the numbers given in the article it is obvious that the per capita rate for gonorrhea in 1978 was much, much higher than this 'record'.

The only real news that I could see is that gonorrhea and syphilis per capita rates have gone up.

Comment by micro prof in the boonies

micro prof in the boonies — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:12:10 -0800

re#14: From the actual CDC report (http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats/toc2006.htm), not the news story:
"The national rate of reported chlamydia in 2006 was 347.8 cases per 100,000 population, an increase of 5.6 percent from 2005 (329.4). The increases in reported cases and rates likely reflect the continued expansion of screening efforts and increased use of more sensitive diagnostic tests; however, the continued increases may also reflect an actual increase in infections."

Click on "Figures in the National Profile." Note Fig. 8, the percentage of women tested who have ever had the disease (have antibodies to it), has increased slowly but steadily since 2000. And Fig. 9, showing that data by state, suggests that chlamydia seems to be a red-state disease.

The gonorrhea rate has indeed come down since '78 (and syphilis since the 40's). The news story is that the current gonorrhea increase is primarily of drug-resistant gonorrhea that cipro can't treat - scary.

Overall, the US has 10 times the STD rate of Northern Europe. We can do a lot better. Abstinence is great for those who can do it; but that simply is not the majority of human beings. Teaching only abstinence is short-changing most kids, with predictable results.

Comment by Donovan

Donovan — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:33:44 -0800

#10 - That's pretty ironic that "syphilis is referred to as the disease of a nation's enemy", since so many royal families around the world carry a genetic strain of syphilis. It's the enemy within. It's easily cured nowadays, but it's still a great metaphor for monarchs.

Comment by Mike in MO

Mike in MO — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:49:08 -0800

There's a super strain of The Clap? Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Comment by Boomer in NYC

Boomer in NYC — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 06:25:43 -0800

I just got my annual HIV/STD tests back a week ago, and I"m still HIV negative and STD-free. And I'm not exactly virginal; I'm 41 and I've been plenty sexually active for longer than most of you have been alive.

I don't know, honestly, if sexually-transmitted diseases are a matter of statistical probability, or good judgment. But I suspect there's danger in saying it's exclusively one or the other. I tend to operate under the assumption, wrong or not, that HIV and STDs are generally easy to avoid--provided to adhere to the rules of safer sex.

Comment by Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:32:50 -0800

So I thougth I had seen a stat about it increasing at the greatest rate in the Detroit area, but a quick google search says that it's increasing the most in the south.

hrm.

Comment by Just Some Guy

Just Some Guy — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:12:19 -0800

But according to the idiot author of the 'The Abstinence Teacher' (Tom Perrotta), high school health teachers don't have an impact at all upon high school students. Specifically he notes how teens are still sexually active even with a abstinence only education. According to him, health educators can't influence the kinds of issues noted.

Yay, USA #1 (in STDs)