6 ms·

Avoid sleeping around, find a partner to have a monogamous relationship with. Sorted. Interested to hear about your solution?

soelost 8y ago
You are absolutely right! Just like, eat healthy and exercise. We both know its easier said than done. I doubt people that come out of long relationships in their 20's or at any age actually think about getting tested. Imagine you are now in a relationship with my ex. Before getting with my ex I unknowingly contracted Chlamydia. Over the course of our 3 year relationship I infected her, and now she may or may not have given it to you. My solution would make it so the person who infected me would be able to alert me, my ex, and possibly you if you haven't been tested or using condoms.
1000units 8y ago
The HIV/AIDS problem in the third world could easily be solved the same way. Instead we waste billions of dollars every year on research and aid.
- thijsvandien 8y ago
  Getting raped is not exactly sleeping around.
  - 1000units 8y ago
    Please elaborate. What do you think the breakdown is, people who contracted HIV during a rape versus otherwise?
    - soelost 8y ago
      In certain African countries its estimated that HIV transmission between heterosexuals occurs .0009 and most rape would probably fall under that number so I doubt it would be a primary reason. The primary reasons would still comes down to not using protection and not knowing one's status(i.e. testing). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2978669/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2978669/
InGodsName 8y ago
Doesn't prevent your partner from cheating on you or getting a cut from a barber. Getting bruised from a barbell carrying puss/blood from an infected person. This is why I've invested in a personal gym.
soelost 8y ago
This also addresses InGodsName. My solution is an app where we log all new partners and periodically log our on-going partners, and then update when we're tested, whether positive or negative. If positive, the app alerts all partners to the 4th degree. The 4th degree, in the event your partner cheats on you and that person ends up testing positive. The app could alert you and your partner at the same time. Its not about blame or shame but getting people tested and treated so they stop infecting others. If negative, then the app won't send you alerts from partners prior to your test date.
- jrowley 8y ago
  Just speaking for myself, but there is no way I'd ever give any app (except possibly a personal journal/writing app) that kind of data. In my opinion, who I bone is my business, and it is my responsibility to get tested regularly if I'm having unprotected sex with lots of partners.
  - soelost 8y ago
    Do you mind telling me your age? I can definitely say you're not the first person to say that. Early on I got that from a handful of people, along with a few others asking what kind of information they'd have to share, and from there I decided to anonymize it based on HIPAA's Methods for De-identification. It is your business and responsibility. I agree with you, but I just wish everyone else felt the same way and acted as though they did. But the number's tell a different story. With that said, you can drive down the highway at 65 with your seatbelt on following all the rules. But if everyone else feels like driving against traffic then you're still at risk. And Im not saying to act reckless because everyone else is. Im saying to turn on your radio to listen to the traffic alerts. My question for you is, are you dead set on your stance or is there something that could change your mind? Some of the people that were opposed at first didn't want to share their identities while others felt they owed it to their partners to call them. The reason I ask is because you gave an exception.
    - jrowley 8y ago
      I'm ~25.5 years old, and had a pretty healthcare oriented upbringing (I grew up in family of clinicians). So I guess I'm not 100% dead set, but pretty close. If this tool was used in a healthcare context, by healthcare professionals I might consent to it. For example, if as part of my annual check up I filled out a list of the people I had intercourse with (and their location, DOB, some more identifiers) and the last time I did so, etc. and it got entered into the EHR, and then EHR did some linking (Epic EHR already has Care Everywhere which links records across health systems), then at least the data would be in the system. From there it could automatically send alerts out, or perhaps better, it would alert your physician/clinician that you might be of higher risk. I don't think the clinician (or any human user, besides the user them self) should be able to see who their self reported partners are. So the above system makes the assumption that people have regular access to physicians, which is not a safe assumption. People who already have regular access should be getting screened by their clinician to see if they are at risk, and then tested. So I'm not sure it really has that much of a value add, and it certainly adds some complexity. I'm all for reducing the burden of STDs/STIs, but I'm not sure that a registry is the best approach, but I'm not a health policy person.

soelost 8y ago

You are absolutely right! Just like, eat healthy and exercise. We both know its easier said than done. I doubt people that come out of long relationships in their 20's or at any age actually think about getting tested. Imagine you are now in a relationship with my ex. Before getting with my ex I unknowingly contracted Chlamydia. Over the course of our 3 year relationship I infected her, and now she may or may not have given it to you. My solution would make it so the person who infected me would be able to alert me, my ex, and possibly you if you haven't been tested or using condoms.

1000units 8y ago

The HIV/AIDS problem in the third world could easily be solved the same way. Instead we waste billions of dollars every year on research and aid.

thijsvandien 8y ago
Getting raped is not exactly sleeping around.
- 1000units 8y ago
  Please elaborate. What do you think the breakdown is, people who contracted HIV during a rape versus otherwise?
  - soelost 8y ago
    In certain African countries its estimated that HIV transmission between heterosexuals occurs .0009 and most rape would probably fall under that number so I doubt it would be a primary reason. The primary reasons would still comes down to not using protection and not knowing one's status(i.e. testing). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2978669/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2978669/

InGodsName 8y ago

Doesn't prevent your partner from cheating on you or getting a cut from a barber. Getting bruised from a barbell carrying puss/blood from an infected person. This is why I've invested in a personal gym.

soelost 8y ago

This also addresses InGodsName. My solution is an app where we log all new partners and periodically log our on-going partners, and then update when we're tested, whether positive or negative. If positive, the app alerts all partners to the 4th degree. The 4th degree, in the event your partner cheats on you and that person ends up testing positive. The app could alert you and your partner at the same time. Its not about blame or shame but getting people tested and treated so they stop infecting others. If negative, then the app won't send you alerts from partners prior to your test date.

jrowley 8y ago
Just speaking for myself, but there is no way I'd ever give any app (except possibly a personal journal/writing app) that kind of data. In my opinion, who I bone is my business, and it is my responsibility to get tested regularly if I'm having unprotected sex with lots of partners.
- soelost 8y ago
  Do you mind telling me your age? I can definitely say you're not the first person to say that. Early on I got that from a handful of people, along with a few others asking what kind of information they'd have to share, and from there I decided to anonymize it based on HIPAA's Methods for De-identification. It is your business and responsibility. I agree with you, but I just wish everyone else felt the same way and acted as though they did. But the number's tell a different story. With that said, you can drive down the highway at 65 with your seatbelt on following all the rules. But if everyone else feels like driving against traffic then you're still at risk. And Im not saying to act reckless because everyone else is. Im saying to turn on your radio to listen to the traffic alerts. My question for you is, are you dead set on your stance or is there something that could change your mind? Some of the people that were opposed at first didn't want to share their identities while others felt they owed it to their partners to call them. The reason I ask is because you gave an exception.
  - jrowley 8y ago
    I'm ~25.5 years old, and had a pretty healthcare oriented upbringing (I grew up in family of clinicians). So I guess I'm not 100% dead set, but pretty close. If this tool was used in a healthcare context, by healthcare professionals I might consent to it. For example, if as part of my annual check up I filled out a list of the people I had intercourse with (and their location, DOB, some more identifiers) and the last time I did so, etc. and it got entered into the EHR, and then EHR did some linking (Epic EHR already has Care Everywhere which links records across health systems), then at least the data would be in the system. From there it could automatically send alerts out, or perhaps better, it would alert your physician/clinician that you might be of higher risk. I don't think the clinician (or any human user, besides the user them self) should be able to see who their self reported partners are. So the above system makes the assumption that people have regular access to physicians, which is not a safe assumption. People who already have regular access should be getting screened by their clinician to see if they are at risk, and then tested. So I'm not sure it really has that much of a value add, and it certainly adds some complexity. I'm all for reducing the burden of STDs/STIs, but I'm not sure that a registry is the best approach, but I'm not a health policy person.