24 March,2010 05:00 PM IST | | Agencies
It's a news which you can tweet. Social networking sites like 'Facebook' have been linked to a resurgence in the sexually transmitted disease syphilis, among young women particularly, say health experts.
The virus has increased fourfold in Sunderland, Durham and Teesside, areas of Britain where Facebook is very popular, as it has given people a new way to meet multiple partners for casual sexual encounters, according to them.
Prof Peter Kelly, the Director of public health in Teesside, said that his staff had found a link between social networking sites and the rise in cases, especially among young women, the British media reported.
"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. Social networking sites make it easier for people to meet up for casual sex," he said.
In Teesside there were 30 recorded cases of syphilis last year, but the true figures are expected t be much higher. And, 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: "Users should take precautions and be careful when meeting up with anyone they have met online."
