A Simple Way To Cut Down STI Rates In Ireland

danniemcq · 19-08-2010 2:19pm #1

I was thinking the last night of embarrassing situations and the one I thought of that would be cringeworthy enough to put you off doing it even though you know you have to is letting people you were with that you had caught an STI. You can imagine ringing or texting someone you were with maybe a month or 2 ago and telling them “Funny story….” And if it was a while since that person got a check that could be a lot of phone calls and embarrassment that people may be put off doing.

My idea is simple and cheap and will cut down on all that.

When you go to the doctors for a check that comes back positive you have the option of letting the doctor text everyone that should be informed. The doctor doesn't have to see the names of the people even, just their numbers which the person can enter themselves if they wanted. The reasoning behind the doctors sending this though is that if its a case of enter the numbers of people online yourself it can be up for abuse by people pretending.

So it boils down this you go to docs get a positive result and your ex-partner(s) then get a message from a number (that I'm sure the provider could rename the way it does for some competitions etc) saying that somebody they have been intimate with has tested positive and that it might be worthwhile to get themselves looked at. And the cycle then continues. With lots of STI's showing little or no symptoms it will help stop the spread maybe?

The costs of this would be minimal as I'm sure one of the carriers would help and even if not each of these have free web text capabilities that can send group messages and single messages too.

What do fellow boardsies think? And how many of you thought i was gonna suggest dye everyones hair ginger?

Gaz · 19-08-2010 2:21pm

If you gave some one a dose of gee rot, be a man and tell them. Coward !

thebigbiffo · 19-08-2010 2:26pm

nah. all names should be printed on the back page of the Times, easier to make sure they take responsibilty for their actions that way

mickydoomsux · 19-08-2010 2:30pm

Or people could cut down on their binge drinking and learn some self respect/control.

Or maybe wear a condom.

kraggy · 19-08-2010 2:31pm

They do it in the UK.

kraggy · 19-08-2010 2:32pm

mickydoomsux wrote: »

Or people could cut down on their binge drinking and learn some self respect/control.

Or maybe wear a condom.

Condoms don't protect you from all STI's. Even a fully functioning one.

Kasabian · 19-08-2010 2:32pm

kraggy wrote: »

They do it in the UK.

Sex ?

mickydoomsux · 19-08-2010 2:33pm

kraggy wrote: »

Condoms don't protect you from all STI's. Even a fully functioning one.

Fair point.

MultiUmm · 19-08-2010 2:34pm

tl;dr

ejmaztec · 19-08-2010 2:35pm

Life was was much better when they were STDs.

Cookie_Monster · 19-08-2010 2:36pm

Just ban sex, they problem will resolve itself in about 100 years

Kasabian · 19-08-2010 2:38pm

Can you catch an STI from a keyboard that only you have used.

No . Great, panic over.

:pac:

Hasmunch · 19-08-2010 2:43pm

Kasabian wrote: »

Can you catch an STI from a keyboard that only you have used.

No . Great, panic over.

:pac:

****... Kasabian's solution to everything :pac:

Kasabian · 19-08-2010 2:44pm

Hasmunch wrote: »

****... Kasabian's solution to everything :pac:

Practically everything :pac:

I think I'll do it now.

Procasinator · 19-08-2010 3:20pm

And it'll be handy to the doctor too, as they can keep the numbers in a DB and see who is getting texts frequently (namely the town bike). Handy information too have! :pac:

In all seriousness, privacy would be a concern with such a system.