Wonder how to dampen any lovers' enthusiasm on Valentine's Day?
Talk about sexually transmitted diseases.
That, at least, is the perspective of the federal Centers for Disease Control, which announced just in time for Feb. 14 worries about a new "super-gonorrhea" as well as millions of new cases of STDs that are costing taxpayers billions of dollars.
And by the way, the feds are hinting strongly that children should be inoculated against human papillomavirus, which is sexually transmitted, even though the drug has been known to cause death.
Cheery thoughts, huh?
The CDC said there are 20 million new STDs diagnosed each year in the United States, infections that cost an estimated $16 billion.
HPV tops the list, and the Washington watchdog organization Judicial Watch noted the recommendation that children be vaccinated, despite the dangers.
"The administration took the opportunity to promote a controversial HPV vaccine (Gardasil) in the report, though it didn't specifically name the medication," Judicial Watch said in its analysis today. "Everyone is at risk for the potential outcomes of HPV, the CDC warns in its new study, adding that 'HPV vaccines are routinely recommended for 11 or 12 year old boys and girls' to protect against cancer.'
"The report continues: 'CDC recommends that all teen girls and women through age 26 get vaccinated, as well as all teen boys and men through age 21 (and through age 26 for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men). HPV vaccines are most effective if they are provided before an individual ever has sex,'" JW said.
"It that's not a plug for Gardasil, what is?" questioned Judicial Watch.
But the organization notes its own research, which has uncovered dozens of deaths and many more cases of serious health problems following use of the drug.
It reported earlier that between Sept. 1, 2010, and Sept. 15, 2011, there were 26 deaths reported from adverse reactions, as well as "seizures, paralysis, blindness, pancreatitis, speech problems, short term memory loss and Guillain-Barre Syndome.
For example, one healthy 14-year-old was vaccinated with Gardasil, then developed numbness and tingling in extremities, fatigue, urinary tract infections, ovarian cyst, and seizures.
"The patient had had upwards of 150 seizures following her third shot in June 2008. During her seizures she stopped breathing for periods of 30 to 40 seconds," the report said.
She died.
The watchdog group also noted the failure on the part of existing efforts to attack STDs.
The report from CDC says "the numbers have increased steadily in the last few years … In 1996 there were 15 million new incidents of STDs in the U.S. and in 2000 there were 18.9 million. The figures started to skyrocket in 2008, according to CDC figures," Judicial Watch said.
"Happy Valentine's Day from Uncle Sam!" the report said. "An 'ongoing and severe epidemic' of sexually transmitted diseases has pounded the United States with 20 million new cases a year that stick it to the nation's health care system with an astounding $16 billion in medical costs."
The federal report said half of the 20 million new infections are reported in people between 15 and 24, and other top infections include Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B, HIV and trichomoniasis.
CDC epidemiologist Catherine Lindsay told NBC the infections "take a big health and economic toll on men and women in the United States."
It was in an ABC report that details about the superbug were discussed.
It cites the CDC's confirmation Neisseria gonorrhoeae now is morphing into strains that are resistant to most antibiotics.
The feds now call it "multidrug-resistant gonorrhea," and the report confirms the antibiotics now used against the infection are becoming less effective.
"The continued threat of multidrug-resistant gonorrhea makes protecting against [it] more important than before," epidemiologist Lindsey Satterwhite told ABC.
Her advice, "Wear a condom correctly, think about abstinence, practice monogamy, and get appropriate screening if you're high risk."
The federal report should be considered a wakeup call, Satterwhite said.
"People need to remember that all [STDs} are preventable, treatable, and many curable."