You've got mail ... and possibly an STD as well

LOS ANGELES - You have an embarrassing problem. You have just been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease. Worse, you've been sleeping around, so other people are at risk and they need to be told.

Problem is, you barely know them. You certainly don't feel up to a sit-down heart-to-heart about your condition and what they might want to do to check themselves out.

What to do? California's health authorities have found a solution that keeps awkward communication to a minimum: an email service that tells your recent partners what the problem is and commits you to nothing, not even to give your name.

Called Inspot, the service consists of a choice of six e-cards with messages ranging from the jokey to the sombre. One is a close-up photograph of household screws with the message: "I got screwed while screwing. You might have, too."

Another depicts a suntanned, well-toned man holding a towel up to his buttocks. The caption: "You're too hot to be out of action. I got diagnosed with STD since we played. You might want to get checked, too."

The free service invites users to specify their diagnosis from a list ranging from minor irritation [chlamydia, crabs] to gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV. You can give your name and add a personal message if you wish.

The service began on an experimental basis in San Francisco a year ago and is now, after 20,000 emails, undergoing a major expansion. Los Angeles unveiled its version last week, and Seattle, Philadelphia and Indianapolis are set to follow in the New Year.

Sexual health, especially in California, where Aids took off in the 1980s, is an area where authorities are loath to mess around.

STD diagnoses rose 8 per cent among gay and bisexual men last year, after several years of relative stability.

The fear is that the culture of prevention surrounding HIV/Aids is weakening, while the lure of casual sex - facilitated by internet sites - is stronger than ever.

The Inspot website makes the argument that telling sexual partners about medical issues "helps take away the stigma associated with HIV and other STDs.

And it's scientifically proven to reduce transmission".

There are worries that malicious users could send out postcards as a prank, but Inspot administrators in San Francisco said less than 1 per cent of emails sent out had turned out to be hoaxes.

Not everyone is a fan of Inspot. A city councillor in West Hollywood, the gay mecca of the Los Angeles region, last week described the anonymous postcard route as a "chicken way" to pass on vital information.

- INDEPENDENT