Jeff Iorg Blog
Public Health
| May 13 2013
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A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle (5/8/13) reported on the growing problem of gonorrhea becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. California and Hawaii are the first states to report the problem. More specifically, San Francisco Bay Area counties have the highest infection rates in California. Why?
The same article reported 2,200 cases in 2011 in San Francisco County, a rate of 278.7 cases per 100,000 people – the highest rate in California. The rate increased 21.5% over the previous year among men, while decreasing 22% among women. So many more men are infected than women; however, the overall increase is still more than 15%. One study reported 60 % of the cases in men were among men who have sex with other men.
The same article reported a request by directors of the National Coalition of Sexual Transmitted Diseases for $53.48 million in additional public health funding from Congress. Let me be sure you got that - $53+ million of your tax money to pay for treatment of gonorrhea. And on another note, what does it say about our country that we have a Coalition for STDS that has directors!
The article made no mention of any moral dimension to this problem. The assumption is people want to have sex. They can have sex with any willing partner. Then they get a disease only transmitted through sexual encounters. And, all of us are responsible to pay for the treatment.
Public health care is a moral responsibility in a compassionate society. People who can’t afford treatment for mental health issues, post traumatic stress disorder, or other diseases or afflictions they acquired through no fault of their own deserve compassionate care. Failure to do so is an affront to all of us. Whatever tax money spent to help people like this (particularly children), is money well spent.
But why is it also a public duty to pay for treatment for a disease that can be completely contained with better moral choices? Monogamy with a healthy partner, even in relationships which by biblical standards are immoral, would still stop the problem! Personal responsibility, however, is not part of the equation on providing public health care – and all of us get to pay the price.