Sex Licensing - Health Issues

Health Issues

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Sexually transmitted diseases impose a burden on the medical care system whether fully socialized as in Canada or only partially socialized as in the U.S.A. The smoking of cigarettes after sex, often glamourized in the movies, imposes further stress upon the costs of medicare.

Precedents have already been set for government intrusion into the private sphere. Mandatory seat belt laws have been justified in part by the claim that reduced automobile injuries lower the cost of our socialized medicare system. "Rights imply responsibilities" was how one of Ontario's officials put it when seat belt use became mandatory in that province. The government's campaign against cigarette smoking is largely motivated by similar concerns.

The "war" against drugs also qualifies as a massive incursion into the private decisions of millions of peaceful individuals. Yet the vast majority including, apparently, a majority of it's victims accepts this negation of individual sovereignty as a legitimate prerogative of the state. This attitude is so deeply entrenched in the minds of the majority that the activities of armed thugs storming the private domains of citizens in pursuit of illegal substances are routinely broadcast to national audiences. Violent and aggressive crimes are portrayed as heroic law enforcement.

The problems being addressed by such aggresive state intrusions are not all that different from the problems that attend an unregulated romance regime.

Similarities exist between addiction to drugs and addiction to sex. Drug addicts will lie, cheat and steal to support their habit. So will sex addicts. Addicts will often fight over drugs. Some men fight over women. Finally, those who engage in either activity run the risk of getting a lethal dose.

Our government has chosen prohibition as a means of fighting the non-approved use of drugs. Prohibition of sex is out of the question for obvious reasons. It would appear then that some regulatory apparatus be devised instead to prevent the negative consequences of romance.

Requiring citizens to have a Sex and Romance (S&R) License could be an excellent means of reducing the incidence of sexually transmitted disease. Testing for venereal diseases could be included as part of the annual license renewal procedure. Those testing positive could be fined, imprisoned or (worse?) have their licenses suspended. Applicants could be required to provide notarized documentation detailing the frequency and variety of sexual encounters. Failure to convince the license issuer that sufficient precautions had been taken against disease could result in demerit points leading to possible socialized medicare premium surcharges or the loss of some tax credits.

To placate those applicants who might consider these requirements an abominable invasion of privacy attention should be drawn to the income tax which long ago abolished privacy. As with taxpayers, there could be a declaration of sexplayer rights which would include the following statement paraphrasing that found on the back of the yearly T1 (Canadian) tax guide under the heading "Privacy and confidentiality": "You are entitled to expect that we will use the sexual and romantic information you provide us only for purposes the law allows". Note that being "entitled to expect" confers no real rights upon the subject and imposes no serious obligation upon the government to limit it's use of such information. And well it should be, the alternative would be to leave such information out of the reach of state experts.

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last modified:Wednesday,March 19, 2008 at 04:40