Oh, Bobby, we mustn't!
STD rates are on the rise in Greenwich Village, and it looks like lots of ladies are doing the nasty in some, ahem, nasty ways, according to new data from the Health Department [pdf].
The number of female gonorrhea diagnoses in the Village has skyrocketed by 57 percent between 2008 and 2010, making it the highest spike in the city. Chlamydia rates also rose by 12 percent for women in the Village, though East Harlem ladies took the dubious honor of highest jump for that disease overall (up by 27 percent). Men in the Village, on the other hand, saw a decrease in STDs—chlamydia cases dropped by 30 percent and gonorrhea by four percent. Good job, gents! In the meantime, the Bronx retains its unfortunate titles as the least healthy, most STD-ridden county in the state.
Health officials told amNY that the spikes in the Village are probably due to better testing, but that won't solve the problem: “It’s a great thing that we’re capturing more people,” said Dr. David Bell. “But the fact remains that people are not well-educated about sexually transmitted infections … besides just HIV.” Which is true: another recent study showed that more young people are having unsafe sex than ever, despite Professor Furburger's best attempts to dissuade them.
Hopefully, however, between the newly mandated public school sex-ed programming and the continued success of gimmicky contraceptives, STD numbers across the city will begin a steady decline. Those free condoms by the door of so many Village bars aren't just for decoration. [via DNAinfo]
