Sen. John Cornyn Supports Burning On Urination

Sen. John Cornyn opposes funding STD prevention. He says those funds would be better spent buying modern equipment for the National Guard and Reserve forces.

Sen. Cornyn might be a sadomasochist but people in the military are just too important (not to mention cute; see below) to entrust twits like Sen. Cornyn with their well-being.

First, people in the military are not immune to, you know, STIs. And by "not immune" I mean they have staggering STIs rates for such a controlled environment:

Of the 4 STIs, CT [chlamydia] rates have remained the highest, ranging from 95 to 1600 (per 100,000 person-years). Among the 4 military services, the Army reported the highest rates for all 4 STIs (CT rate, 2006: 1598.2; GC [gonorrhea] rate, 2006: 342.3; NGU [non-gonococcal urethritis] rate, 2006: 61.4; TP [syphilis] rate, 2006: 7.5). Annual CT and GC rates were consistently higher among women less than 25 years of age in comparison to men of the same age; NGU rates consistently higher among men; and TP rates generally higher among men. Reporting and screening requirements varied between services.

Second, super-duper military equipment is not all that effective against burning on urination and a pungent penile discharge. Education, condoms, and meds are much more effective.



(YT via)

Will He Or Won't He?

Photo by celebdu

This about sums up my long-standing opinion of [still] Gov. Spitzer: a sanctimonious bully who was just trying to advance his political career.

As I type this CNN is reporting that Gov. Spitzer is in the middle of plea negotiations, something along the lines of "if I resign, that takes care of all the State and Federal charges." I hope he resigns, but I'm not holding my breath.

And just in case you're wondering, I hope he resigns because people like him who value their political ambition to the exclusion of all else do not serve the public well, not because he had sex with prostitutes. Although, to be honest, just the fact that Gov. Spitzer has a preference not to wear a condom [when having sex with a call-girl] should be reason enough to call for his resignation.

I mean, if we expect teenage American girls (and boys) to know how to protect themselves from STIs if they have sex, we should ask no less from the Governor of the state of New York.

The Elusive Pubic Lice

The Rotterdam Natural History Museum is looking for a few good parasites, of the pubic lice (crabs) variety, and is having difficulty getting hold of any specimens.

Pubic Lice (crabs)

According to some British doctors, "The Brazilian" bikini wax might be responsible for the decrease in infestation rates.

Although pediculosis pubis is not reportable here, an estimated 3 million new cases are treated each year in the United States. Here are the treatment guidelines, from the CDC.

Channeling Torters

Reading this article about a Canadian woman charged with sexual assault for failure to disclose her HIV status, something occurred to me. The only way to insure clarity in matters like this would be to have a potential partner sign a consent. Given that most people don't consent others for a living, and the added discomfort of having that first STI talk with a new sexual partner [you all are having this talk consistently, right?] I'm not convinced this is a practical solution at all.