"We were seeing these things and thought there must be a way we can use technology as a means of prevention, not just a transmission tool," said Deb Levine, the executive director of I.S.I.S. Inc.
According to Levine and Klausner's survey of 833 gay men and men who had had sex with other men in San Francisco, 73 percent would recommend sending an anonymous e-card if they had to notify past partners about STDs.
Levine said focus groups in Philadelphia and Indianapolis indicated that the e-cards might be a good idea for heterosexual people, too.
But, Susan, who estimates she has counseled or spoken with more than 1,000 people diagnosed with herpes in Connecticut, isn't so sure.
"In general, we in the office thought, 'Oh -- it's kind of a way of telling somebody,'" she said. "The next thought would be, 'Would I just delete this or would this drive me crazy because who could this possibly have been from?'
"If somebody doesn't care enough to tell me in person, then it's kind of a slap in the face," she added.
Gail Wyatt, a clinical psychologist, sex therapist and professor in the department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the University of California in Los Angeles, couldn't agree more.
"It would be very psychologically damaging to someone who thought they had a relationship with an individual and then they end up with an e-mail like this," said Wyatt. "I think they're sarcastic, I think they're making light of a very serious situation."
Yet, Wyatt understands why people would choose an e-card to tell their partner. She said much of the problem with spreading STDs, and with treating them, revolves around stigma.
"There's no real protocol for how to discuss sex in our society, so usually people don't talk about their STD history," Wyatt said. "They usually assume, and they're right sometimes, that they'll be discriminated against. ... So people usually keep it private until it's discovered."
Despite that stigma, Wyatt thinks the best way to tell a person about an STD is the old fashioned way: in person.
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