JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A months-long investigation of a Jacksonville man suspected of knowingly spreading a sexually transmitted disease to two unsuspecting women has led to his arrest.
Neither of the women knew each other, but they reported having similar interactions with the same man.
News4JAX has made an editorial decision not to identify the man because he faces two misdemeanor charges of intentionally infecting another person with an STD.
News4JAX did, however, choose to shed light on this crime because it can cause lingering health concerns for unsuspecting victims.
The following is a list of STDs that require an infected person to obtain informed consent before engaging with sexual intercourse with another person:
- Chancroid
- Gonorrhea
- Granuloma Inguinale
- Lymphogranuloma Venereum
- Genital Herpes Simplex
- Chlamydia
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
- Nongonococcal Urethritis
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Syphilis
Failure to disclose an infection is a misdemeanor offense.
Under Florida law, if a person knowingly transmits HIV to an unsuspecting person, they are charged with a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. Repeat offenses allow police to charge that person with a first-degree felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
News4JAX Crime and Safety analyst Tom Hackney says people who knowingly spread STDs deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.
“For someone who had been infected, it’s embarrassing to come forward. It’s embarrassing to talk to law enforcement about this, but it’s still critical to report because if there are people out there doing this, knowingly spreading diseases, you have to put a stop to it,” Hackney said.
Dr. Shalika Katugah is the director of the Infectious Diseases unit at Baptist Health. She said doctors at the hospital come across patients with STD infections more often than most people may think.
She also said that when left untreated, certain STDs with minor symptoms can lead to long-term problems.
“Things like syphilis can cause neuro syphilis and cardiovascular syphilis. Things that last a lifetime. Things like HPV can lead to cancer,” said Katugah, who also mentioned that the timing of treatment for STD exposure is critical. “
If you get a penicillin shot right away or if you get treated for chlamydia or gonorrhea with antibiotics right away, then you would be fine. You get cured from these STDs. But the problem is that a lot of people are asymptomatic, or symptoms come and go, and they don’t go to their doctor, and they don’t get treated, or they don’t get treated in time, and that’s when they suffer the lingering effects," she said.
Medical and law enforcement experts acknowledge that people are sometimes embarrassed to talk about a suspected STD infection, but they say, despite the embarrassment, if you suspect someone has knowingly given you an STD, you need to not only seek medical attention but also report it to police.