The No. The same patterns emerged for diagnoses of human immunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV, among Floridas older adults. My stepmom begged a local group to let me into the adults-only class, and armed with a 35 mm disposable camera, I started my journey toward multimedia journalism. State | 00:00 - Do the Villages in Florida have a high STD rate?00:40 - Does the villages have the highest rate of STDS?01:11 - Can you rent at The Villages in Flori. The Villages the highest STD rate in the country,'" wrote Jan Schweitzer on the post. The Truth Behind the Urban Legend .For more data, I just moved here now I know where Im going to apply to to work LOL. TrackBack URL. Credit: The Villages. One popular pseudo-fact that pounces on newcomers is The Villages has the highest STD rate of any retirement community in Florida. Some say a disgruntled nurse hurled it as an insult. The rampant STD rumor about The Villages first erupted in 2006 after a gynecologist who had moved to the area . It wasnt long before crews from Orlando television stations descended on the community and the story became even more legendary. The reported cases of syphilis and chlamydia among older adults outpaced the nation's average, according to the analysis. In fact, looking at statistics from the Florida Department of Health, it is at the bottom for cases per 100,000 residents. It claimed that some news media outlets took advantage of the opportunity to sensationalize a juicy story that was sure to grab readers attention. The Villages, a mammoth retirement community that was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the nation two years ago, is no stranger to folklore. 0:01. Many Villagers agreed, noting theyve never heard the myth from someone living in the community. And while cases of chlamydia had risen in Lake County since 2000, the numbers remained flat in Sumter and Marion counties. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. We are more worried about alligators than crabs here, typed Sean Donnelly. It centered around the arrests of Villager Margaret Peggy Klemm and Summerfields David Alan Bobilya for engaging in sexual intercourse in the Pavilion at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square. But perhaps no myth is more ubiquitous or more enduring than the idea of rampant rates of sexually transmitted diseases. I think theres a little bit of jealousy from the outside, said Christine Wynne, a 50-year-old resident. Since the 2000s, lawmakers have reallocated money for sexual health, a move that experts often credit with contributing to a nationwide spike. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Everyone chuckles and they move on. Consistently ranking as one of the United States' top communities to retire is The Villages in Florida. They weren't focusing on (sexually transmitted infections) and HIV. Another joked, Going to the dollar store to bling out my in-laws car.. And if you do have an STD the sooner you get treated the better. Marion and Lake bore similar trends. Itll never go away.. Required fields are marked *. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Since the 2000s, lawmakers have reallocated money for sexual health, a move that experts often credit with contributing to a nationwide spike. Notoriously averse to media interviews, Morse and The Villages community relations team did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Marion and Lake bore similar trends. Copyright 2022 by The Associated Press All rights reserved. Answer: Symptoms of STDs vary depending on the infection. In Sumter County, where 80% of the population is from The Villages, the infection rate is 39. On this page you'll find the most recent statistical content for STDs. STD rates are climbing among people 55 and older. The Best Walkable Places to Retire in South Carolina, Rising Popularity of ADUs a Blessing for Retirees, More Tales of Downsizing and the Household Negotiations Involved. It cited two links that are no longer active, including the 2006 story. Some people love gossip about old people and sex.. There are a number of reasons why the STD rate is so high in the villages. The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county & community efforts. Compared to Florida overall, however, the three counties containing The Villages tended to have significantly lower rates. I think I have an STD. Travel Like a Millionaire on a Retirement Budget! But both served to fuel the rumor of promiscuity and wild times in The Villages, which by then was frequently being referred to as a quasi-college-like town for seniors who wanted to play hard and party even harder. 0:48. } Requested URL: www.55places.com/blog/10-major-myths-rumors-about-the-villages, User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 15_5 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) CriOS/103.0.5060.63 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1. Spread of sexually transmitted diseases among older adults in Florida tended to be higher in counties with major cities and large Black and Latino populations, state data suggest, such as Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Florida identified 4,584 new HIV diagnoses, according to the most recent data available from the federal agencys HIV surveillance report, which collected data from 2015 to 2019. Highest rates.' It's an easy headline. And it pointed out that with 80,000 residents in the community at the time, it should come as no surprise that a certain percentage would be interested in things like alcohol and sex. Steven Lorenzo sentenced to death for 2 Tampa murders, When will Social Security sunset? Directors. "A lot of the testing sites shut down, Finkelstein said. You should also take precautions to . There was talk of a black market for Viagra. It pointed out that stories about a high rate of STD cases in the community were likely exaggerated. In The Villages, 86% of seniors are white, according to U.S. Census data. While as in any county one can find cases of STDs, The Villages is in no way a top place for sexually transmitted diseases . Low 63F. Answer: According to the CDC the Sunshine State has the second highest rate of chlamydia and the fourth highest rate of gonorrhea in the country. .kxikc63ffb4b933c33 { Blog One time, she very seriously said, I think Im gonna move to The Villages. The Villages, Florida, USA - October 24, 2020: Golf carts parked downtown at Market Square in Sumter Landing. Its irresistible no one wants to think about their parents having sex, but they love news articles about old people having sex. Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale, and . Data reflects cases reported as of July 2022. Orlando came in at No. Blechman also told the exploits of a 63-year-old bachelor known as Mr. But that isnt the case. The Villages, over the past few decades, has made a name for itself for several reasons (it's even the topic of a recent documentary, Some . But so have sexually transmitted disease rates everywhere. Havana Championship Golf Course in terrible shape. Residents of The Villages are, of course, sexually active, said Dr. Marivic Villa, an internist who runs a health clinic in the retirement community. What should I do. Compared to Florida overall, however, the three counties containing The Villages tended to have significantly lower rates. Now, it's kind of like, I'll just go take a pill every day. Answer: The only way to know for sure if you have an STD is to get tested by a healthcare provider. The Villages, outside Orlando, Florida are manufactured to be a retirement fantasyland. The Villages is a "city" of 100,000+ people with all of the goods and services you'll need located within its borders. Find out where the highest rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia are in each state. And will it ever go away? A state Department of Health official declined to parse out the agencys data on a more granular level, such as a census-designated place like The Villages, citing privacy concerns. In The Villages, 86% of seniors are white, according to U.S. Census data. But is the worlds largest retirement community about 80 miles northeast of Tampa really a hotbed for these diseases? The Womens Center of The Villages is no longer open. Old People. Nonsense, Castor says. When barriers to health care are high, so are rates of sexually transmitted diseases, studies show. Why upset that a Tesla was named in a crash report? (STDs), Rate Per 100,000 Population, 2021. } People just want to paint the picture that old people here are like young people in New Orleans. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. 26,316. Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below. This is a sprawling set of retirement neighborhoods with access to over 3,000 activities and clubs, plus an astounding 50+ golf courses. If you are planning to visit the villages you should be aware of the risks. What should I do? Our site uses cookies. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. The myth snowballed from there. Privacy Policy. Marion and Lake bore similar trends. Florida Department of Health in Lake County Address: 2113 West Griffin Road Leesburg, FL 34748 Number: (352) 360-6548. WUSF 89.7 depends on donors for the funding it takes to provide you the most trusted source of news and information here in town, across our state, and around the world. Similarly for rates of chlamydia, the overall rate for Florida is 525.5 while Leon Countys is 1147 and Sumters 157. Answer: Remember that getting tested is the only way to know for sure if you have an STD. You can also get vaccinated against HPV and hepatitis B. Cadence at Lansdowne is a brand new 55+ active adult community offering a vibrant lifestyle in Lansdowne, Virginia. Advertise | Since the 2000s, lawmakers have reallocated money for sexual health, a move that experts often credit with contributing to a nationwide spike. @media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) { Florida is one of the top five states in the country when it comes to the prevalence of sexually transmitted illnesses among older persons. Where did this pervasive legend start? A moderator disabled comments on the post within days. Does The Villages have the highest STD rate? Privacy | Help | While Montana, Wyoming, and . We have the largest Democratic Club in the entire State of Florida (by A LOT) and that is where you will make your friends. Directors. People who are older are just people who are older. Williamstown , New Jersey: Guy Luongo Gaetano Luongo. 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. Seniors, Sex & STDs. Copyright 2022 by The Associated Press - All rights reserved. The Villages the highest STD rate in the country,'" wrote Jan Schweitzer . Mouseover on map to see county name and value. 4 . Answer: You can get tested for STDs at your local health department community health center or doctors office. 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. Q and A Neither story had anything to do with STDs. In fact, looking at statistics from the Florida Department of Health, it is at the bottom for cases per 100,000 residents. 850-414-8103. Pensacola lands in top 100 list for U.S . WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | White is for beginners and black is for those who want it all at the complex. My grandmother lives in Florida. Sumter County had one of the lowest rates of sexually transmitted diseases among older adults in 2019 with about one in 10,000. Many Villagers agreed, noting theyve never heard the myth from someone living in the community. Aerial view of a golf cart bridge on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022 in The Villages, Florida. All of them are tested for sexually transmitted diseases. The high STD rate in the villages is a cause for concern. Answer: Some STDs can be cured with medication but others (like HIV) can only be managed with treatment. display: block; I feel like I have to justify to every single person I know that I didnt buy this place to chase women, said Lafferty, who is 69 and single. My doctor in Ohio even, when he asked where we spend time in Florida, stated Oh, The Villages the highest STD rate in the country, wrote Jan Schweitzer on the post. When barriers to health care are high, so are rates of sexually transmitted diseases, studies show. Im not saying that theyre not thinking about having sex, she added. Fact or Myth: The Villages Is the STD Capital of the US? Tampa mayors chief of staff for police chief? In many circles this bit of false news is taken as the gospel. Thats compared to six in 10,000 seniors statewide. . Others believe it began with a joke on a radio station. Let me tell you why: 1. Richard Willis, Florida Department of Health HIV/AIDS surveillance officer for Florida regions 3 and 13 (which includes The Villages), feels there's no significant difference in senior HIV rates in The Villages when compared to the rest of Florida. 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. As a result, the place that likes to bill itself as Americas Friendliest Hometown has seen a huge increase in sexually transmitted diseases, according to a 2013 Slate article referencing the tabloids coverage. 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 . 2.5 million reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, the three most commonly . It may be older news, but the story behind The Villages Florida STD scandal still continues. This really has nothing to do with concern about high STD rates it has to do with old people having sex, he said. By collecting data from each state, they in turn provide a dynamic picture of the nations health as a whole. A Village of Monarch Grove resident, in a Letter to the Editor, pleads with officials not to change the dress code at golf courses. 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. 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