2013-04-16 10:05:26 +02:00

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technology
facebook
7508945
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# Facebook 'linked to rise in syphilis'
## Facebook has contributed to a resurgence in the sexually-transmitted
disease syphilis, a health expert has claimed.
![Facebook in the office: Social media's success formula][1]
Facebook has been linked to a resurgence in the sexually-transmitted disease
syphilis, according to health experts. Photo: BLOOMBERG
6:30AM GMT 24 Mar 2010
[Comments][2]
Case have increased fourfold in Sunderland, Durham and Teesside, the areas of
Britain where Facebook is most popular.
Professor Peter Kelly, director of public health in Teesside, claimed staff
had found a link between social networking sites and the spread of the
bacteria, especially among young women.
He said: "Syphilis is a devastating disease. Anyone who has unprotected sex
with casual partners is at high risk.
"There has been a fourfold increase in the number of syphilis cases detected
with more young women being affected.
"I don't get the names of people affected, just figures, and I saw that
several of the people had met sexual partners through these sites.
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"Social networking sites are making it easier for people to meet up for casual
sex."
In Teesside there were 30 recorded cases of syphilis last year, but the true
figures are expected to be much higher.
Research has shown that young people in Sunderland, Durham and Teesside were
25 per cent more likely to log onto social networking sites than those in the
rest of Britain.
A Facebook spokesman said: "The assertion that Facebook is responsible for the
transmission of syphilis is ridiculous. Facebook is no more responsible for
STD transmission than newspapers responsible for bad vision. Today's reports
exaggerate the comments made by the professor, and ignore the difference
between correlation and causation.
"As Facebook's more than 400 million users know, our website is not a place to
meet people for casual sex - it's a place for friends, family and co-workers
to connect and share."
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