Fact or Myth: Is The Villages the STD Capital of the US?

(Updated July, 2023) – February 5, 2021 — Is The Villages the STD Capital of the US – fact or myth? Any time the subject of The Villages (TV) in Central Florida comes up in conversation, the chances are that you will hear someone chime in with the tidbit that the popular active community is the STD capital of the US. In many circles this bit of false news is taken as the gospel. Everyone chuckles and they move on.

Is The Villages the STD Capital of the US?

The rampant STD rumor – Is The Villages the STD capital of the US first erupted in 2006 after a gynecologist who had moved to the area stated that she’d treated more cases of herpes and human papillomavirus in The Villages than when she practiced in Miami. She later modified her account, but the damage was done. The New York Post picked up the salacious report as did other media outlets across the country. Andrew Blechman’s Leisureville, which depicted Mr. Midnight’s late night adventures as a senior citizen Lothario, also helped to perpetuate the image of TV as Gomorrah in Central Florida.