Help needed! (Public health risk question)

Hey there-hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

I'm hoping somebody can help me out with this problem-any advice on what can be done would be great.

There is a woman, about the age of 32 years old, who has become very promiscuous in the past year or so. She works in a retail environment, and this is her "hunting ground". So far, she's slept with at least 9 of her male co-workers. That's really not my business, or anyone's, but what gets me is that she REFUSES to use a condom. She has contracted various venereal diseases several times and just continues to operate like she's been doing. She doesn't care that she gets infections. She just refuses to wear condoms-in fact, she can't even pin down who may have given her what.

My questions to you:

Is this a real public health risk? What can I do to stop this? Is there a hotline that I can call to report this to? I know that HIV is on the rise here on the East Coast (or so I've been told), and I feel like she's just perpetuating this. Isn't that against the law or something?

Can she be fired from her job for this? I am under the impression that NY is a work at will state.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I know that this is her life, her decisions to be promiscuous, but I feel like when STI's come into play, and you're not playing responsibly to begin with...you know?

Thank you so much!

maybe these men should take responsibility for their own health by not sleeping with _anyone_ without a condom.

getting someone fired for their sex life is super skeezy.

It's none of your business. Stay out of it.

Reminds me of STD AllStars. Interesting discussion though. Too bad the blog was removed.

http://gawker.com/news/sex/williamsburg-herpes-avenger-is-fighting-stds-with-fliers-314151.php

It is none of your business. As long as unprotected sex among adults is consensual there's nothing to do. Yes, very frustrating. I see this all the time with patients who are self-destructive. Sad.

sooo....is she hot?

slip some antibiotics into her coffee?

^^ LOL!

Don't get her fired for it.

I take it that ya'll talk about personal things since you know about her past
infections and what not...so...just warn/remind her as a friend about the risk of her getting AIDS and the other STD's going around.
Let her know you care and think that she should care about herself more.
No calling in the Marines on her and shit. One on one talk.

actually, more than a few Marines might want to know about her....

mostly just the shirkers, though

drea, you need to stay out of it unless you're her friend and chat with her and hand her of stack on NYC condoms (which don't prevent all STDs, btw)

otherwise it's not your concern nor your business.

that said, if she works for you and her personal life is interfering with her work life, you can tell her she's upsetting the retail environment. but you may need to prove that.

I will second (third) the assertion that it is none of your business.

But it sounds like there's more going on here than you have stated. No offense, but you seem a little too concerned for someonen that is just acting on sheer altruism and not out of having some kind of stake in the sitch.

^^^ skank bedded her crush.

Subject: Listen

Call 311, there is a new city-wide service that hoses these individuals with an anti-bacterial/microbial foam and tags them.

MC

Duuuuuuuude, make sure you don't sleep with any of those dudes!

Hey guys-
Thanks so much for your replies, I really appreciate it.

This girl isn't my friend. However, someone that was really close to me for a long time is now one of her conquests. I tried to let him know what was going on with this girl, but who knows if he actually listened to me.

I just know that there's so many STD's and HIV is on the rise, especially on the East Coast here...it just breaks my heart, first because I don't want to see someone that I care about get something nasty that maybe he can never get rid of, and secondly, because there's something just so sad about a girl who really doesn't care one iota about herself that she'd rather get infections left and right then wrap it up. You know?

I guess I just don't understand how someone just couldn't care less about what she has and even more so to pass it around.

Ah, well.

Thanks again, guys!

drea, the HIV rise is in gay men. it's actually lower in the heterosexual community if that calms your fears any


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/nyregion/02hiv.html

STD rates have always been high among those who engage in high risk behavior.

It's not like we should all start protecting ourselves now.
...avoiding skanks (male or female) and using protection is likley your best advice, regardless of whether there is an uptick in infection rates.

I now step down from my soap box.

being heterosexually promiscuous is entirely different than homosexuality. no judgment here, trust me, but the likelihood of this woman of getting HIV is statistically low.

there are, however, a billion other things a person can have

whynot_31 wrote: STD rates have always been high among those who engage in high risk behavior.

It's not like we should all start protecting ourselves now.
...avoiding skanks (male or female) and using protection is likley your best advice, regardless of whether there is an uptick in infection rates.

I now step down from my soap box.

I totally agree with avoiding the skanks of either the male or female persuasion, and using protection! It's just so funny how stupid people can be, they believe things like, "But I swear you're the ONLY person I'd ever do it raw with!" or whatever people say these days, lol.

Toooo much.

And thank you for trying to ease my mind, as well. Can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

a whole lot of people who aren't "skanks" get STDs, and vice versa. the diseases don't discriminate, and condoms don't protect you from everything. if you think they do, you may be in for a surprise.

I was wondering how you determine who a "skank" is. I know several people who are not skanks and/or not promiscuous and ended up with STDs.

remember when STDs were called VD? does that show my age?

remember when they were called STDs? ...there is now an effort to re-name them STIs.

"I" for infections.

true, one can get something from having just one infected partner. I withdraw my "avoid skanks" advice.

...but I personally will continue to avoid them.

I heard they almost went with STO (O for Oozing) but quickly came to their senses.

On a more serious note, as the sarge used to say on Hill Street Blues before sending the cops out on the beat "Let's be careful out there", people.