[TraceyMooreRN]

I have to laugh at this thread--posting the numbers by county? Hmm, As a Registered Nurse (with NO STDs thank you) --is also surprised most people think STDs only come from sex. I am not going to discuss Health Education-but do your own research..some STDs don't go away. We live in a retirement community--maybe they brought the disease to the county and that is truly what increased the numbers? Just a thought....

[blueash]

Originally Posted by Mack184

What our doctor did was to pull up the current CDC numbers in her office while we sat there. She has relatives living in TV and she's well aware of the situation down here. Her degree is from Johns Hopkins and you can't get one of those out of a Cracker Jack box. (Can't get a Coupe DeVille in one either! LOL) Since my wife is an NP she has access to the same information. I believe them both. No reason not to.

A lot of people want to think that TV is nirvana. If you like the lifestyle, it's a fine place, but it is not free of the various social things that plague our nation.

Knowledge is power.

Nowhere on the CDC website is there any breakdown of STI rates by small locations. There is no way your Johns Hopkins doctor could ever have looked up what you claimed. How about you email her and ask for the exact link where she "found" that data so I can also see it. Additionally your wife being an NP means nothing as there is NO restricted access by profession to anything on the CDC's website so she gets no secret hidden information to pass on to you that anyone without a medical background cannot also find. So the entire premise of the post is erroneous and I suspect perhaps confabulated.

Sumter county is 64th in STI rates of the 67 counties in Florida. The correct information is readily available and requires that you open the excel link for "Rates by Year/County/Disease" at Florida STD Trends

Thus whatever "data" you claim to have seen would clearly show that Sumter County (there is NO data specific to the Villages as it is in 3 counties and has no independently reporting authority) has an extremely LOW reported incidence of STI's

[buzzy]

Originally Posted by JP

I find that people who are jealous of other people or where they live or what they have try to put them down anyway they can. Just roll with the innuendoes and in your own mind think to yourself how lucky we are to live in such a great place as the villages.

Absolutely. The ignorant, jealous jerks at our condo were always pushing our buttons for leaving. Misery loves company. We were moving on with our lives, and they were stuck there.

[blueash]

Originally Posted by AutoBike

I clicked on the link and compared the total rate of STDs/100,000 residents.
Here's what the stats say for 2010:

County.....................................STD rate/100k residents
Miami/Dade.....................................25
Marion............................................ 26
Lake.............................................. .39
Sumter...........................................6 2

It looks like the statement was accurate to me.

Sorry Bike, you are not correctly reading/interpreting the data.

You have given the numbers from column T which is the ranking by county of STD's per 100,000 population. Thus Miami/Dad is the 25th worst county for cases per 100,000. It is not that they have only 25 cases per 100,000 as in fact they have 496 cases/100K

Sumter county ranks 64th out of 67 (not 62nd) and its rate is 238/100K. For the worst... Gadsden with 1325/100K but only 721 total cases in a small county. The best at county at #67 is Lafayette with 192/100K

Column R gives the rate of STD's per 100K which is the best data for giving the incidence of disease, column S the rank by total cases where obviously the larger counties will have more total cases.

If there are some who would like help reading the excel chart I will reply, otherwise the take home message is the Sumter County is one of the lowest risk places in the state for STD's contrary to the OP's postings.

This STD rumor is just that, an oft repeated canard

[Geewiz]

Now let's play nice.

As a single, at 60 connection is more important than sex. Yeah sex is great and if we get to that point it's time for a romantic date to get tested...for the safety of both of us.

[Mikeod]

I'm always leery of reports that give percentages without the raw numbers. When they claim STDs increased by 70%, they need to report the data. Was it 10 cases last year and now 17? Or was it 1000 cases and now 1700? Both show an increase of 70%, but are much different. And someone saying they have treated more here than Miami without data to back it up is doesn't mean much.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by CFrance

.... Otherwise, who cares what the rumors are? Anyone who mentions that to you is rude and doesn't deserve a response. I grew up in Pittsburgh and am constantly being harangued with prejudiced, uninformed, out-of-date comments about the condition of my hometown. I just ignore them. Let them feel stupid when they find out differently, and that has happened quite a bit, as people who have necessarily had to visit have been gracious enough to let me know their new opinions.

You can't change someone's mind that was made up from ignorance, so ignore the statements.

Excellent! Very well put!!!

Originally Posted by JP

I find that people who are jealous of other people or where they live or what they have try to put them down anyway they can. Just roll with the innuendoes and in your own mind think to yourself how lucky we are to live in such a great place as the villages.

Isn't THIS the truth?!

Originally Posted by blueash

.... Sumter county is 64th in STI rates of the 67 counties in Florida. The correct information is readily available and requires that you open the excel link for "Rates by Year/County/Disease" at Florida STD Trends

Thus whatever "data" you claim to have seen would clearly show that Sumter County (there is NO data specific to the Villages as it is in 3 counties and has no independently reporting authority) has an extremely LOW reported incidence of STI's

This explanation, which is absolutely accurate, has been given time and time again, yet people get so obsessive about STDs that they ignore it. Why? Maybe there are those who wish to ignore it for their reasons....

Originally Posted by buzzy

Absolutely. The ignorant, jealous jerks at our condo were always pushing our buttons for leaving. Misery loves company. We were moving on with our lives, and they were stuck there.

True 'nuff!

Originally Posted by blueash

Sorry Bike, you are not correctly reading/interpreting the data.

You have given the numbers from column T which is the ranking by county of STD's per 100,000 population. Thus Miami/Dad is the 25th worst county for cases per 100,000. It is not that they have only 25 cases per 100,000 as in fact they have 496 cases/100K

Sumter county ranks 64th out of 67 (not 62nd) and its rate is 238/100K. For the worst... Gadsden with 1325/100K but only 721 total cases in a small county. The best at county at #67 is Lafayette with 192/100K

Column R gives the rate of STD's per 100K which is the best data for giving the incidence of disease, column S the rank by total cases where obviously the larger counties will have more total cases.

If there are some who would like help reading the excel chart I will reply, otherwise the take home message is the Sumter County is one of the lowest risk places in the state for STD's contrary to the OP's postings.

This STD rumor is just that, an oft repeated canard

I knew those initial figures were ridiculous and made absolutely no sense. They reminded me of what I would expect from the Orlando Slantinel. Thanks for setting the record straight and clarifying it!

Originally Posted by mikeod

I'm always leery of reports that give percentages without the raw numbers. When they claim STDs increased by 70%, they need to report the data. Was it 10 cases last year and now 17? Or was it 1000 cases and now 1700? Both show an increase of 70%, but are much different. And someone saying they have treated more here than Miami without data to back it up is doesn't mean much.

Cases of STDs MUST be reported, county by county. So when the number of cases in one year of one particular STD rose from 2 to 4 (this was several years ago), the naysayers cited that "STD rates in The Villages [even though, as pointed out, records are kept by county, not by TV...] have DOUBLED!!!" How stupid do they think we are?!

Then again, how stupid they must be! Just ignore the nonsense and have a good life!

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by buzzy

Absolutely. The ignorant, jealous jerks at our condo were always pushing our buttons for leaving. Misery loves company. We were moving on with our lives, and they were stuck there.

They are gutless and afraid to make even the slightest change to their boring lives.

[travelguy]

I remember telling somone that we were relocating to The Villages, and his comment was "I hear that it a very lascivious place". I have never heard anyone ever use that word in a sentence!

[cquick]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I don't know and I don't care. The only behavior we have any control over is our own. If the singles are enjoying their life here, then I hope they will use protection.

Personally, I am amused by those rumors and it kinda beats the mindset that we are all dead or close to it.

Gracie, I sure wish I had your talent for expressing myself! What you said here is what I feel. You put it in such nice terms.

[redwitch]

Think my reply would be, "Frankly, my dear, I don't a damn." Since you're married, you could always say monogamy has its advantages. If single, you could remind these folks that condoms are readily available (even oral ones). If nothing else, that should get a good blush out of some of them.

And, whether true, false or wishful thinking, it's irrelevant. People aren't going to believe statistics (they're irrelevant); they aren't going to believe someone who lives here (we're biased); they're not going to believe someone who is moving here (they're naive); they KNOW the facts and no one is going to convince them otherwise. So, let them mire in their muck and you can enjoy the golf.

[Wiserbud47]

For most of us, The STD discussion is not relevant to our life in the Villages. It is a GREAT place to live and I can't think of any place my wife of 40+ years and I would rather live.

[Golfingnut]

Originally Posted by Mack184

The first thing our doctor said to us when we said we were moving down here was.."You better buy body condoms!" Do you know how bad the STD & HIV rate is down there? We already knew, but then she backed it up with facts.

The best way to shed the STD label is for people to clean up their acts.

Really!!! You do need a new doctor for sure. Anyone that would believe this is

[PaPaLarry]

Rumors!! Rumors!!! Rumors!!hdear : Lately in The Villages Golf Courses, the case of the "Yips" has been spreading like wild fire!!! Heard its been spread with a putter.

[senior citizen]

...........