by Diane Robertson
Promiscuity has consequences. Since the 1960’s people have been trying to avoid the consequences by destigmatizing sexual choice. Social and school programs have been set up to support children born without a married mother and father. Free medical care is available to the poor.
Comprehensive sex education that teaches children promiscuity has successfully made its way into many schools. Daily, popular movies, cartoons, books, and music glorify promiscuity. Pornography is generally considered acceptable. Marriage has been redefined, and those who have complained about the effects promiscuity has on children and society have been labelled bigots and haters. Yet, no matter how destigmatized promiscuity has become, serious consequences literally continue to plague society. `
The Centers for Disease Control recently came out with their yearly report on STDs. Not surprisingly, the rates are on the rise, particularly for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Chlamydia increased by 2.8%, with over 1.4 million cases reported in 2014 alone. Gonorrhea increased just over 5%, and the syphilis rate went up the most with a 14.4% increase in men and 22.7% in women.
More alarmingly still, the rate of babies born with syphilis has jumped 38%. Babies born with syphilis experience anything from severe rash that causes scarring to swollen joints and bone pain to blindness or even death. According to USA Today:
“Syphilis is almost entirely preventable, both in adults and babies. Adults and teens can avoid infection either by using condoms during sex, abstaining from sex or being with a monogamous partner. Giving penicillin to pregnant women prevents infection in 98% of newborns, according to the CDC.
In the (CDC) study, nearly 22% of mothers got no prenatal care, and nearly 10% had no record of pregnancy care. More than 40% of women were not treated for syphilis, while 30% received inadequate care, the report said.”
Oregon’s Public Health Division encourages health professionals who diagnose STDs to additionally write prescriptions for their patient’s sexual partners. They call this Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT). Yet some are questioning whether or not EPT works given the rise in STD rates. Still 38 states and Washington DC recommend EPT, while only 4 states have made it illegal.
The real issue of course is promiscuity and infidelity. STDs are a natural consequence of that behavior. All of the social programs, free STD testing, free medical care, free prescriptions, and EPT programs are obviously not helping. The only thing that will change this rise is if people quit listening to the media that glorifies promiscuity, or the sex education that teaches it and instead heed the religious advice of old to reserve sexual activity for marriage and live in complete fidelity after marriage. STDs are preventable. They are the only diseases spread solely through behavior.