Answer: Theres no reason to be embarrassed about getting tested for STDs. But rumors travel fast in communities with shared values and histories. Loofahs come in seven different colors each with a different swinger meaning. All of them are tested for sexually transmitted diseases. SeaCasa1: Oh cachu!! When barriers to health care are high, so are rates of sexually transmitted diseases, studies show. Baltimore, America's #1 city with the highest STD rates, reportedly has . The reported cases of syphilis and chlamydia among older adults outpaced the nation's average, according to the analysis. A Tampa Bay Times inquiry on the 38,000-member Facebook group, The Villages Word of Mouth, was revealing. In The Villages, 86% of seniors are white, according to U.S. Census data. The rampant STD rumor about The Villages first erupted in 2006 after a gynecologist who had moved to the area stated that shed treated more cases of herpes and human papillomavirus in The Villages than when she practiced in Miami. Residents of The Villages are, of course, sexually active, said Dr. Marivic Villa, an internist who runs a health clinic in the retirement community. The Seniors Health article also said that the majority of people living in The Villages wouldnt be affected by STDs even if an issue existed in the first place. The Villages, a mammoth retirement community that was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the nation two years ago, is no stranger to folklore. Im not saying that theyre not thinking about having sex, she added. What are some of the most common STDs in Florida? One of the pervasive characteristics of sexually transmitted infections is that people turn them into a punchline, Finley said. Its safe, and everyones happy. Required fields are marked *. The findings concluded that STD rates continue to run rampant in the South, with nearly half of the top 25 cities with the highest STD rates in the South. The Villages is about a 15 minute drive North for me. TIL that Outback Steakhouse was founded in Tampa, FL by four Americans who had never visited Australia. Often, the stories seized on signs that The Villagers were engaging in casual sex or dating, wielding them as evidence of heavy transmission within the retirement community. States that are among the lowest in healthcare spending per capita Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina account for the three highest STD rates. 61 among the top 100 U.S. cities with the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases. I think theres a little bit of jealousy from the outside, said Christine Wynne, a 50-year-old resident. Some say a disgruntled nurse hurled it as an insult. The No. Q and A Rumors have persisted for years that prostitutes frequent Katie Belles at night to solicit retirees now calling The Villages home. Now, it's kind of like, I'll just go take a pill every day. Answer: Chlamydia gonorrhea syphilis and HIV are the most commonly reported STDs in Florida. Spread of sexually transmitted diseases among older adults in Florida tended to be higher in counties with major cities and large Black and Latino populations, state data suggest, such as Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and Broward counties. It wasnt long before crews from Orlando television stations descended on the community and the story became even more legendary. display: block; In a Letter to the Editor, a Village of Santo Domingo woman wonders why there is only one movie theater open in The Villages. While statistics arent yet reflecting the trend, one physician at the Womens Center of The Villages said, even in her years working in Miami, she has never seen so many cases, the since-removed WFTV article reported. He was quoted as saying that neither he nor his colleagues had seen any kind of increase in STDs in the 5,000 patients they treated. Some say a disgruntled nurse hurled it as an insult. How Will Social Security and Medicare Survive in the New Congress? The map illustrates county data by quartile. Without exception, every person Ive told I bought a house in The Villages has asked the same thing, Lafferty said. Residents from the Florida retirement complex the Villages, which The Post reported on in 2009 as being a wild retirees getaway, have been caught on video displaying loofahs on their cars, allegedly to distinguish their swinging sexual styles. Well deliver the latest news and information you need to know every weekday morning. Florida is one of the top five states in the country when it comes to the prevalence of sexually transmitted illnesses among older persons. The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county & community efforts. If you are planning to visit the villages you should be aware of the risks. It claimed that some news media outlets took advantage of the opportunity to sensationalize a juicy story that was sure to grab readers attention. The Villages, Florida, USA - October 24, 2020: Golf carts parked downtown at Market Square in Sumter Landing. Florida Counties by STD Rate: Total Gonorrhea, Chlamydia & Infectious Syphilis, 2015 * - Indicates the county rate is statistically significantly different from the statewide rate. In a Letter to the Editor, a Village of Fenney resident says immediate attention is needed at Palmetto Executive Golf Course. The Villages spans three Florida counties Sumpter, Marion and Lake. With all the publicity it received, how much of it is actually true? . She later modified her account, but the damage was done. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? Preliminary CDC data suggest STDs in the U.S. continued to increase in 2021. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A lot of the outreach dried up, and a lot of the disease intervention specialists from the health department, etc. February 18, 2016, 8:49 AM . Fact or Myth: The Villages Is the STD Capital of the US? The Villages is a popular retirement golf cart loving community. New York, and Maryland saw the highest instance of STIs among populations 55 and older with an average STI rate per 100,000 at 881.8, 236.2, and 172.7 respectively. Purple is for those who like to watch. . Answer: Remember that getting tested is the only way to know for sure if you have an STD. Notoriously averse to media interviews, Morse and The Villages community relations team did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In December 2017 with the STD rumor amazingly still circulating across the community an article published in Seniors Health took on the controversy. Answer: If you think you may have an STD its important to see a healthcare provider right away. In 2008, author Andrew D. Blechman released a book called Leisureville that told sordid tales of nightlife in The Villages. While sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and syphilis are surging nationwide, much of this nascent spread is among adults in their teens and 20s, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. 26,316. It had received more than 300 responses. However, not everyone agrees on the meaning behind the decorative ornaments. And will it ever go away? They may be embarrassed or scared but its important to remember that getting tested and treated is the best way to protect both of you. According to statistics provided by the Florida Department of Health, the three counties which make up The VillagesSumter, Lake, and Marionall have bacterial STD infection rates well below the state average for adults over the age of 55. People who are older are just people who are older. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. I took my first photography class when I was 11. Oh, you dont want to move there, theres STDs. Its utopia here. People just want to paint the picture that old people here are like young people in New Orleans. Florida tracks sexually transmitted diseases by county of residence. Advertise | Since then many people, especially those who live in and/or promote The Villages, have done their best to set the record straight. They can provide you with a diagnosis and treatment if necessary. And it offered this assessment: Welcome to ground zero for geriatrics who are seriously getting it on., Several supposed Villagers were quoted in the article. On this page you'll find the most recent statistical content for STDs. While sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and syphilis are surging nationwide, much of this nascent spread is among adults in their teens and 20s, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. You do not have access to www.55places.com. States with the lowest rate of infection: Vermont (43) New Hampshire (44.2) Maine (53.1) Wyoming (53.7) Idaho (66) As with the states with the five highest Chlamydia rates, the five states with the highest rate of gonorrhea cases are the same as the previous year, albeit with minor reshuffling in the ranking: South Carolina and Alabama rose a . But I wonder what is the color of 98 percent of those living in upscale retirement anywhere. Whoops! 850-414-8103 Mailing Address. campus, but for seniors. Marion and Lake bore similar trends. All Rights Reserved. This means that people from all over the world come to the villages and they may be bringing STDs with them. Itll never go away.. The Villages the highest STD rate in the country,'" wrote Jan Schweitzer on the post. The Villages is a "city" of 100,000+ people with all of the goods and services you'll need located within its borders. A Tampa Bay Times inquiry on the 38,000-member Facebook group, The Villages Word of Mouth, was revealing. It had legs, said Andrew Blechman, author of Leisureville: Adventures in a World Without Children, a 2009 book on life in The Villages that is referenced in almost all coverage of this issue. Where did this pervasive legend start? While as in any county one can find cases of STDs, The Villages is in no way a top place for sexually transmitted diseases. And if you do have an STD the sooner you get treated the better. And while cases of chlamydia had risen in Lake County since 2000, the numbers remained flat in Sumter and Marion counties. Some say a disgruntled nurse hurled it as an insult. It cited two links that are no longer active, including the 2006 story. Answer: The best way to avoid getting an STD is to abstain from sexual activity. By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to our cookie privacy policy. Cadence at Lansdowne is a brand new 55+ active adult community offering a vibrant lifestyle in Lansdowne, Virginia. Classifieds | Mouseover on map to see county name and value. Marion and Lake bore similar trends. Isnt that the STD capital of the United States?. Its safe, and everyones happy. @media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) { Many of her patients come seeking testosterone therapy to improve their sex lives. A state Department of Health official declined to parse out the agencys data on a more granular level, such as a census-designated place like The Villages, citing privacy concerns. All of them are tested for sexually transmitted diseases. 1 city on the list was Baltimore, Maryland followed by Jackson, Mississippi and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a result, the place that likes to bill itself as Americas Friendliest Hometown has seen a huge increase in sexually transmitted diseases, according to a 2013 Slate article referencing the tabloids coverage. This really has nothing to do with concern about high STD rates it has to do with old people having sex, he said. "First we must look at the population," says Dale Harrison the Regional STD Program Manager of The Florida Department of Health-Leon County. .kxikc63ffb4b933c33 { Hearsay is a dangerous thing. At the county-by-county level, The Villages similarly fared better than most. What should I do? 'STDs. In 2019 the States overall rate of infection for gonorrhea was 175 per 100,000 population. Blog The Villages, Florida was nominated as a Geography and places good article, but it did not meet the good article criteria at the time (February 9, 2022). All Rights Reserved. highest std rate college in virginia. Old People. Old People. Cases of STD per 100,000 population. Itll never go away.. Automate your online reviews with a few simple clicks & respond to reviews in 1 place Highest rates. Its an easy headline. "When people saw it as a fearful thing, because it was a life-threatening disease, they tended to be a little bit more cautious, Finkelstein said. The findings concluded that STD rates continue to run rampant in the South, with nearly half of the top 25 cities with the highest STD rates in the South. What happens if I dont get treated for an STD? A Village of Monarch Grove resident, in a Letter to the Editor, pleads with officials not to change the dress code at golf courses. Trust me, all the people I have met are definitely not swingers as most can barely stand without assistance.. 10 Myths That Could Sink Your Retirement. A primary care physician in the community with ties to The Villages brass did his part to kill the urban myth about rampant STDs in the mega retirement community. We go there a lot to eat or see a movie. highest std rate college in virginia. Answer: If you think your partner has an STD its important to talk to them about it. What should I do? Florida now ranks 6th in rates of P&S syphilis among 50 states. Newsletter | 850-414-8103. 2.5 million reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, the three most commonly . Im not saying that theyre not thinking about having sex, she added. 0:48. Many of her patients come seeking testosterone therapy to improve their sex lives. Im scared Ill find out I have an STD. Thats compared to six in 10,000 seniors statewide. "A lot of the testing sites shut down, Finkelstein said. By collecting data from each state, they in turn provide a dynamic picture of the nations health as a whole. } Add Your Community | Even when adjusting for population, Florida's syphilis rate is among the top 10 and is higher than the national rate. Take a relaxing stroll through Aiken's tree-lined Cresswind Georgia at Twin Lakes is a new, gated 55+ community in the metro Atlanta, Georgia area. So like any town in the country, its going to have a certain number residents who sleep around and acquire STDs. Requested URL: www.55places.com/blog/10-major-myths-rumors-about-the-villages, User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 15_5 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) CriOS/103.0.5060.63 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1. And the percentage of older adults living in poverty is slightly lower than the national rate, suggesting its retirees may have better access to health care than the country as a whole. Rumors of high STD rates in the Villages persist. That contrasts with Leon County, home to the capitol and Florida State U., where the rate is 370. . Today 13 years after the gynecologist made the statement about STDs that unveiled a sexual revolution of sorts in The Villages and made worldwide headlines new Villagers still hear the rumors about promiscuity among their neighbors. } Chlamydia Cases. But perhaps no myth is more ubiquitous or more enduring than the idea of rampant rates of sexually transmitted diseases. The central Florida senior haven has fielded rumors about swingers and public sex for decades. The latest local, regional and national news events are presented by the Local 10 News Team along with updated sports, weather and traffic. The Villages the highest STD rate in the country,'" wrote Jan Schweitzer . I think that fueled some of those rumors.. But rumors travel fast in communities with shared values and histories. Compared to Florida overall, however, the three counties containing The Villages tended to have significantly lower rates. The 10 cities with the highest STD rates per 100,000 people, . Tallahassee, FL 32399-1716. I feel like I have to justify to every single person I know that I didnt buy this place to chase women, said Lafferty, who is 69 and single. A Tampa Bay Times inquiry on the 38,000-member Facebook group, "The Villages Word of Mouth," was revealing. Join Us | It had received more than 300 responses. Oh, you dont want to move there, theres STDs. Its utopia here. THE VILLAGES, Fla. Friends up north and across Tampa Bay snickered when Brian Lafferty revealed where hed bought a new home. In 2014, with the urban legend of STDs still alive and well, the Sex on the Square story broke. But most trace it to a 2006 television news story Doctors in Retirement Community Seeing Increase in STDs.. But over the years, statistics havent proven the STD rumor to be true. CDC Sexually Transmitted Diseases Statistics, Annual Regulatory PlansFlorida Department of Health (pdf). Sometimes, they cited data about the states rising rates of sexually transmitted infections among seniors as proof that the same held true in The Villages. } Daniel Semenza, assistant professor at, HOUSTON More charges have been filed against a janitor who told investigators that his sickness led him to commit reprehensible and unspeakable acts against employees at a doctors office, John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, the more truths that come out the more cowardly he becomes he harasses tries to intimidate or has someone do, Greg Snyder https://www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/pa/bristol/gregory-stephen-snyder-13533191, Just disclaimer: He is a narcissist. Help | Rates of bacterial sexually transmitted diseases gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia among people 55 and older have slightly trended upwards in these counties since 2006, the year the myth about The Villages is believed to have begun. Others believe it began with a joke on a radio station. This story has been shared 101,193 times. This is especially true of young people who are not using condoms. It cited two links that are no longer active, including the 2006 story. Answer: Symptoms of STDs vary depending on the infection. Directors. The city had 1,502 STD cases reported per 100,000. Partly cloudy skies early with heavy thunderstorms developing overnight. Residents of The Villages are, of course, sexually active, said Dr. Marivic Villa, an internist who runs a health clinic in the retirement community. Blechmans neighbors had moved to The Villages from New England and he paid them a visit. DCHP.STD.Feedback@flhealth.gov. New Rules Push Back RMD Start, Reduce Penalties. 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