.kxikc63ffb4b933c33 { But rumors travel fast in communities with shared values and histories. 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. A Tampa Bay Times inquiry on the 38,000-member Facebook group, "The Villages Word of Mouth," was revealing. Accept. I think theres a little bit of jealousy from the outside, said Christine Wynne, a 50-year-old resident. Marion and Lake bore similar trends. Covering an area larger than Manhattan, The Villages spans three Florida counties Sumter, Marion and Lake. Sorted by Rate from highest to lowest. Whoops! For the next couple of years, the shady talk of rampant sexually transmitted diseases continued. Answer: Theres no reason to be embarrassed about getting tested for STDs. "Tallahassee has two major universities and a community college which accounts . They do a lot but not to the point that theres STDs left and right and all over the place.. There were 507 cases of HIV reported. The study was conducted by researchers with Innerbody.com using statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We highlight the stories of Black Floridians seeking emotional healing and wellness. Havana Championship Golf Course in terrible shape. Answer: You can get tested for STDs at your local health department community health center or doctors office. Im scared Ill find out I have an STD. 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). It may be older news, but the story behind The Villages Florida STD scandal still continues. Florida tracks sexually transmitted diseases by county of residence. The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that Florida is leading the nation in the number of new HIV infections, and has the third highest rate of infection, behind the District of Columbia and Georgia. The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county & community efforts. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Blechmans neighbors had moved to The Villages from New England and he paid them a visit. Answer: Remember that getting tested is the only way to know for sure if you have an STD. According to a 2018 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, males aged 65 and older had a 16.7 percent rise in syphilis diagnoses. Florida reportable STD information and data may be found on the Florida Charts interactive website. Active Adult Communities | But is the worlds largest retirement community about 80 miles northeast of Tampa really a hotbed for these diseases? The Villages is about a 15 minute drive North for me. And he accompanies Mr. Now, it's kind of like, I'll just go take a pill every day. 2023 FOX Television Stations, 4 people found dead, including child, in Brevard County home, sheriff says, These 3 Florida roads are among the deadliest in the U.S., report shows, Surgeon runs down Philadelphia street to retrieve organ from transport vehicle stuck in traffic, SpaceX Crew-6 launch: 'All systems are looking good' for liftoff from Florida, Sheriff: Florida man shoots own dog in head, blames it on 'intruder', Video shows moment deputies say Florida teacher's aide is knocked unconscious by student upset she took Switch, Cheerleader competes alone at state champs after squad quits: It felt amazing, Mount Dora murders: State intends to seek death penalty against Vickie Williams, Lakefront chaos: Man on jet ski arrested for allegedly slapping 68-year-old woman, Matanzas High student to be charged as adult in attack against teacher's aid: court docs. As talk of Blechmans book circulated throughout the community and Villagers made a run on local bookstores to get a copy, the second whammy came to life. Susan Finkelstein is a registered nurse and medical education services manager for EPIC Sexual Health Center in St. Petersburg. Itll never go away.. Without exception, every person Ive told I bought a house in The Villages has asked the same thing, Lafferty said. Syphilis Rates in Florida. The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that Florida is leading the nation in the number of new HIV infections, and has the third highest rate of infection, behind the District of Columbia and Georgia. Press | 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 . Slides with selected figures, data points, a five year summary table, and technical notes are available. The Best States: Where Are Retirees Moving to? People who are older are just people who are older. Why upset that a Tesla was named in a crash report? Oh, you dont want to move there, theres STDs. Its utopia here. At the county-by-county level, The Villages similarly fared better than most. 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. Im not saying that theyre not thinking about having sex, she added. An estimated 1.2 million people have HIV in the U.S. About 1 in 7 of them dont know they have the virus. Loofah sponges may clean your body but theyre apparently a sexy sign that people are getting down and dirty. 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. Some common symptoms include itching burning sores rashes and discharge. DCHP.STD.Feedback@flhealth.gov. And the doctor was never named. One popular pseudo-fact that pounces on newcomers is The Villages has the highest STD rate of any retirement community in Florida. Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise nationally in the wake of the pandemic. A Village of Charlotte resident, in a Letter to the Editor, says the Havana Championship Golf Course is in terrible shape. New Rules Push Back RMD Start, Reduce Penalties. Notoriously averse to media interviews, Morse and The Villages community relations team did not respond to multiple requests for comment. But so have sexually transmitted disease rates everywhere. . You should also take precautions to protect yourself from STDs. 850-414-8103. A Tampa Bay Times inquiry on the 38,000-member Facebook group, The Villages Word of Mouth, was revealing. Our site uses cookies. All Rights Reserved. In reality, I dont see much STDs, said Villa, who has worked in The Villages almost two decades. Florida Department of Health. Itll never go away.. He became confused and expressed outrage over their decision to live in a gated community of close to 100,000 people with no children. Half of all infections are among people 15 to 24. A Village of Monarch Grove resident, in a Letter to the Editor, pleads with officials not to change the dress code at golf courses. Some people love gossip about old people and sex.. 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin A19. Fax. In reality, I dont see much STDs, said Villa, who has worked in The Villages almost two decades. Andrew Blechmans Leisureville, which depicted Mr. Midnights late night adventures as a senior citizen Lothario, also helped to perpetuate the image of TV as Gomorrah in Central Florida. People of color, LGBTQ people and women experience disproportionately high rates of sexually transmitted diseases due to social determinants of health that are more likely to impact marginalized groups. Marion and Lake bore similar trends. 1 city on the list was Baltimore, Maryland followed by Jackson, Mississippi and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale, and Pensacola also made the cut. Today, the Villages isn't so much a retirement community as an empire, a collection of dozens of neighborhoods covering more than 32 square miles spread over three counties, with the bulk in . The map illustrates county data by quartile. The year was 2006 and a Villages gynecologist was about to make a serious dent in the image of Floridas Friendliest Hometown one that wasnt going to be welcomed with open arms. But over the years, statistics havent proven the STD rumor to be true. The Villages is a popular retirement golf cart loving community. Its hard to say what these numbers will look like the next time the report comes out because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Loofahs come in seven different colors each with a different swinger meaning. The same patterns emerged for diagnoses of human immunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV, among Floridas older adults. 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 . Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? Statistics from the Florida Department of Health seemed to support the doctors claim, as the rate of syphilis and gonorrhea cases in the tri-county area had remained steady from 2000 to 2004. Contact Us | It claimed that the ratio of women to men in the community was 10 to 1. They know how to have fun and we all died, one scared grandchild wrote. 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. Many Villagers agreed, noting theyve never heard the myth from someone living in the community. In the United States, sexually transmitted diseases carry salacious weight despite being remarkably common and highly treatable due to ongoing stigma, said Elizabeth Finley, spokesperson for the National Coalition of S.T.D. This story has been shared 126,770 times. In Central Florida, where The Villages and other retirement communities sprawl across several counties, reported cases of syphilis and chlamydia increased 71 percent among those 55 and older in that same period. Some say a disgruntled nurse hurled it as an insult. Nonsense, Castor says. 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