Facebook has had to defend itself today against suggestions that it is responsible for a fourfold increase in cases of Syphilis in the UK. The accusation comes from Professor Peter Kelly who is director of public health at NHS Tees, which covers communities in the North East of England. Professor Kelly has stated that his research has found links between people infected with Syphilis and the use of Facebook and other social networking sites.
Facebook has vigorously defended its position after the accusation that people who use the social networking site meet up with their friends for casual and unprotected sex. A spokesman for Facebook said that its site is a place for friends, family and co-workers to connect and share information.
I am sure that some people have used Facebook to make contacts for casual sex but there are plenty of “dating” websites out there that are much more likely to lead to casual encounters and the spread of STDs, so pointing the finger at Facebook seems a little bit unfair and at the end of the day, it is up to individuals to take sensible precautions no matter where they meet their sexual partners!