Washington: Facebook Message Warns Teen About STD Infection

A Spokane mother is upset about a Facebook message from the Spokane Health District to her daughter, who has been diagnosed with an STD. "She's very upset, she feels violated," said the teen's mom. "It was really important that she contact them about something that was going on with her own health," paraphrased the woman, who worries someone may have gotten her daughter's password, read the message and guessed it involved an STD. A growing number of health departments are using social media to reach patients when traditional contact efforts are unsuccessful. "We do not come out and say, 'You've got [an STD],'" said Tacoma-Pierce County Health Director Dr. Anthony Chen. "We're very discreet about it." "Our job is to detect it and get people treated and contact people who might not know they have the disease," Chen said. "Our job is to protect the public's health and stop the spread of these diseases."

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