San Francisco Program for MSM Allows Men To Send E-Cards Alerting Partners to STD Infection
A new program funded by the San Francisco Department of Public Health STD Services and run by a local group called Internet Sexuality Information Services allows men who have sex with men who have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease to send e-cards to inform their sex partners of their condition, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The program -- known as InSPOT, Internet Notification Service for Partners or Tricks -- was launched on Wednesday and is the first service that allows people diagnosed with an STD to inform others of their condition, rather than having public health officials contact their partners. The service comes in response to recent increases in the incidence of STDs among MSM who meet partners on the Internet, according to Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, director of STD prevention and control for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. "This goes beyond ... by empowering a community member to take the responsibility of informing partners themselves and at the same time protecting individuals' privacy," Klausner said. The slogans for the e-cards are meant to be funny and light; they include sayings such as, "It's not what you brought to the party, it's what you left with," and "You're too hot to be out of action," the Chronicle reports. The cards can be sent to up to six e-mail addresses at a time, may be signed or anonymous and use a drop-down menu of eight STDs, not including HIV, according to the Chronicle. Although the service was created for MSM, anyone with Internet access can use it, the Chronicle reports (Herel, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/6).
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