Real STD transmission data

[mattbell]

While the transmission rates per sex act for HIV are roughly known, they are not known for all the other lovely STDs out there (herpes, gonohhrea, syphilis, HPV etc). This knowledge would be really valuable in fighting the spread of these diseases. But hey, I know a place where I can gather a ton of data. If the prostitutes in Amsterdam are having large (and meticulously recorded) amounts of regular always-protected sex, we can get a good sense for the transmission rates of various STDs with a condom. If we assumed that the clients had STD infection rates similar to or greater than the general male population (a reasonable thing to assume) then we could get an upper bound on STD transmission rates per sex act for all the major STDs. My guide on the tour thought this was unliekly – prostitution is still heavily stigmatized in Holland, and most prostitutes do not like any invasions of their privacy, especially an expiriment that tracked them over time.

Comments

[easwaran.livejournal.com]

Don't the prostitutes have some sort of regular medical check-ups? I assume they'd be happy with a study provided it was done with proper human subjects protocol and properly anonymized, whether by a university or the national department of health.

[nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com]

I thought that was the case as well, but it's not. The general attitude (at least according to my guide) is that sexual health is a private matter.

I'd start a company that offered it as a private service. Prostitutes that passed a recent screening could display a certificate in their window. I could do the same for clients too ... then prostitutes could offer discounts to clients that had recently passed an STD test.

My goal is to get everyone to get tested frequently.