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Larger sexual networks increase prevalence of STDs

Whatever will science tell us next?

While technology may have strengthened the fight against HIV and Aids in many countries, in Pakistan it has led to an increase in HIV infection among young people, health experts and activists have warned.

Mobile apps and social media have opened new avenues for social encounters in the conservative south Asian country. For gay men and male sex workers in particular, smartphones provide a degree of sexual liberation, a way of connecting with partners away from the streets.

Yet many remain unaware of the risks of HIV, allowing the spread of the virus to accelerate.

I suppose we could posit a Kuznets Curve here. In a truly conservative society, where no one ever has sex outside the one single marriage they contract then STDs near wouldn’t exist at all*. Then as sexual contacts increase the STD rate goes up. Then everyone worries about it and we get to the Brave New World of entirely full body condom sex and the rate declines again**.

We also get back to that old economic insistence that there are no solutions, only trade offs. What is that acceptable one between freedom and liberty of action, the STD rate and human sexuality?

*Humans, of course, have never had such a society.

**Humans, of course, have never had such a society.

5 thoughts on “Larger sexual networks increase prevalence of STDs”

  1. Bloke in North Dorset

    At least we were spared a “despite” the conservative society when the the reality is “because”.

  2. So we have a number of Pakistanis who are inbred morons, and now many Pakistanis who are buggering themselves (each other!) into an Aids epidemic. We know they won’t be immunised against some immunisable disease. They have a penchant for topping any female that ‘dishonours’ the family, and like to rape vulnerable girls from outside their community.

    Come on gang, let’s have more of them here.

  3. Well posited.

    Wouldn’t we also need to consider the effects of the buggery Kuznets curve?

    The basic idea is that as economies develop we get rich enough to be able to afford options other than staring into our neighbor’s bedrooms for our porn. As we gain access to alternative options, many alternative options become demystified, leading to greater acceptance, if not practice, in general society. I’d expand further but there are large subsets of the buggery grouping that I do not care to investigate in the detail necessary to fully define the curve.

  4. @ Excavator man

    How racist to suggest that. I for one am happy for my country to be turned back to the dark ages just so some London based Leftie journos can signal their virtue.

    I can grow a beard, the missus needs to learn her place anyway. Wonder if the gay journo can cope with being thrown off a tall building?

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