Study: Legalization of same-sex relationships reduces syphilis rates

The legalization of same-sex relationships leads to a significant drop in a country's syphilis rates, according to a new study by a Swarthmore College economist, who looked at European nations in which gay couples are recognized in the law. "The evidence shows these laws could dramatically reduce risky sexual behavior and the social costs of some sexually transmitted infections," says Thomas Dee, an assistant professor of economics, according to AScribe Newswire. "However, the results may be even more important because of what they suggest are the likely effects of gay marriage on the degree of personal commitment in same-sex relationships." Dee studied data from 12 countries that introduced national recognition of same-sex partnerships between 1989 and 2003. While these laws reduced syphilis rates by 24%, their effects on the prevalence of gonorrhea and HIV were smaller and insignificant. Dee's study was published this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research.