Rising STD rate sparks online dating sites

CNN ^ | March 1, 2007 | Elizabeth Cohen

[KantianBurke]

When John got divorced after 12 years of marriage, he took a deep breath and launched into the dating scene.

"And wham, with my very first girlfriend, I caught herpes," he says. "You feel betrayed and all of a sudden separated from the rest of the world. I thought at the time that the girl who gave it to me and I were the only people in the world who had it."

But John and his date are far from alone. And the growing number of people in similar situations has created a new industry: Internet dating sites just for people with STDs. From stdmatch.net to datingwithherpes.com, Web sites abound for the infected who want to date the infected.

It's not surprising once you see the numbers. One in four women is infected with genital herpes, and nearly one in five men according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And a study in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association finds that one in four women has human papillomavirus, which can cause genital warts and cervical cancer.

Once John got over the initial shock of his diagnosis, one of the first things he did was go online.

[KantianBurke]

Ewww.

[highnoon]

He should sit in on his 2nd graders health class and learn how to use a condom. /sarc ON

[Frank_2001]

John should have stayed married.....

[theFIRMbss]

>Ewww

[RexBeach]

Gee, what a charming idea, dating sites for STD riddled adults. How nice.

[NonValueAdded]

Sounds like the site has more value as a "rule out" resource.

[mad puppy]

"One in four women is infected with genital herpes"

There are times when my wife drives me nuts and I ponder what life would be like "on the outside". Every time that happens a story like this comes along and slaps me upside the head right when I need it most.

[Calpernia]

This looks like it may be related:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1793276/posts
Internet ban for sex offenders (NJ)

Emphasis:

>>>It would also require online dating sites to tell New Jersey residents whether they do background checks.

Previous articles that look like a backdoor for:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1591390/posts
NJ Bill Would Prohibit Anonymous Posts on Forums...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1591081/posts
The problem of thin-skinned politicos (NJ bill to ban anonymous posting)


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1589588/posts
NJ LEGISLATURE - ID of interactive computer services & Internet service

[VeniVidiVici]

Whew! First glance at the headline screamed to me:

Online Rising STD Rate...

Thought I may be doing something wrong :-)

[hunter112]

Gee, what a charming idea, dating sites for STD riddled adults. How nice.

You'd rather they join the general dating population? These are people who realize that they might have done something stupid (I'm leaving out the innocent spouses who caught something from their cheating marital partner) who want to make sure they don't pass their infection on to someone else.

To me, this is being responsible.

[HEY4QDEMS]

It's not surprising once you see the numbers. One in four women is infected with genital herpes, and nearly one in five men according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

BS

[Tax-chick]

John obviously has a very particular definition of a "date." Maybe he should have tried "dinner and a movie" instead of "screw anything with a pulse."

[BigBobber]

There is a basic flaw in the male ego that when a woman consents to sex after one or two dates she has succumbed to his great charm and animal attractiveness. The correct way of thinking is: "If this woman would have sex with me after two dates, she would (and has) had sex with anyone with a pulse."

A danger sign that is to often ignored.

[Tax-chick]

Online Rising STD Rate...

You could be catching something worse than the Molasses Miasma of Niceness through your keyboard ...

[RexBeach]

I know, I know. But it all seems so, ah, dreadful.

[ryan71]

"It's not surprising once you see the numbers. One in four women is infected with genital herpes, and nearly one in five men according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention"

It's a jungle out there!

[Gorzaloon]

Whew! First glance at the headline screamed to me:

Online Rising STD Rate...

Thought I may be doing something wrong :-)

Do what I do:

Use Saran Wrap on the keyboard.

[Emmett McCarthy]

I've read statistics that 2/3 of divorces are instigated and demanded by the wives, so it seems statistically more likely that John had no choice in the matter.

[robertpaulsen]

"To me, this is being responsible."

Seems to me that it's a swinger's website disguised as a "responsible" website. Not that I'm being judgemental.

A responsible person who is dating would say at some point early on in the relationship, "Hey, I have herpes."

[word_warrior_bob]

Let's apply a little logic here:

One in 4 women and one in 5 men have herpes?????????

Based on what??, how many MILLIONS have been tested????

These numbers are ridiculous, kind of like the lie that heterosexuals are JUST as much at risk of catching AIDS, by this time MILLIONS of people were supposed to be dropping like flies.

Can someone tell me the number of HETEROSEXUALS who are not injecting drugs have contracted full blown AIDS, much less the HIV virus?

It turns out a heterosexual male can have unprotected sex with 10 HIV positive women a day and still have a microscopic chance of contracting HIV.