Introduction
Misinformation is a growing concern across all facets of life, impacting people worldwide. With the rise of influencers, online ‘experts,’ and numerous people and companies peddling health cures, understanding how to filter out information critically is vital to ensure that individuals can make informed health decisions. With sexual health, the impact can be far-reaching and damaging, causing panic where there is no need or, worse, creating a void where people do not seek treatment or healthcare treatment for real conditions and infections.
The internet has increased misinformation, allowing it to spread as virulently as any pathogen. In sexual health, misinformation not only infiltrates the public’s awareness and creates confusion and possible panic but also builds up unnecessary barriers to understanding and accessing healthcare and accurate information. With the increase and improvement of AI tools globally, more medical information will likely continue to pop up online, highlighting how important it is to use credible medical sources when seeking out sexual health information.
What is the “Blue Waffles” and Is It Real?
“Blue Waffles” is an internet hoax that highlights the broader issue of spreading misinformation and the damage it can do. While a quick search will find many videos, blogs, and posts that erroneously claim that “Blue Waffles” disease is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that turns the vaginal area blue, this is not a real infection or condition and is completely false.
Many of the symptoms that are incorrectly associated with this hoax are similar to other STIs and conditions, making it easy for this misinformation to spread.
The myth appears to have started on a “bait-and-switch” style website that included a picture of a blue waffle that had a caption, “Bet you can’t find me on Google image search,” which directed users to search for the image, leading them to a graphic photo that claimed it was an STI that implied that women contract and spread it. The “disease” was rumoured to cause lesions, bruising, and blue discoloration. The name came from the slang terms “waffle” for vagina and “blue waffle” for serious vaginal infection.
Medical experts have thoroughly debunked this hoax, highlighting the importance of critically reviewing information, especially when seeking out information online.
The Role of Stigma in Misinformation Spread
While significant progress has been made in sexual health awareness, stigma continues to have a detrimental effect on ensuring that accurate information reaches people. Fear and shame play a large role in the spread of misinformation, particularly around sensitive topics such as STIs, including symptoms, transmission, and even testing and treatment.
While anyone can contract an STI, for many, discussing anything related to sexual health is still uncomfortable. For some, it can even be unsafe, depending on the situation.
Stigma also can cause people to feel shame or embarrassment about seeking treatment or even information about STIs and sexual health. When stigma is present, it can make it more difficult to verify information online, such as seen with the “Blue Waffles” STD hoax, especially if the individual already faces barriers to accessing healthcare. This can spread misinformation faster, with fewer checks and balances to help discredit false information.
Onward Effect on STI Rates and Testing
A major concern of medical misinformation like “Blue Waffles” is the impact it has on distracting from real and concerning infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, both of which have seen increasing prevalence rates across much of the world. Any misinformation that leads people away from seeking medical care from healthcare professionals is a risk to individuals and the overall ability of a country to reduce infection rates and onward transmission.
Misconceptions about what an STI is, its symptoms, and how it is transmitted or treated can lead to decreased rates of testing and, thus, later diagnoses, which can lead to complications later for infections that are not treated quickly.
What Are Some Common Diseases That Show Similar Symptoms?
While the disease is a myth, some vaginal infections and STIs have similar symptoms, such as:
- Unusual, odorous vaginal discharge
- Itching, burning, and swelling around the vagina
- Redness or discomfort
- A burning sensation during urination
- Pain during sex
However, a vaginal infection cannot turn an individual’s vagina blue.
Some STIs and conditions that could share similar symptoms are bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), amongst others.
Real Concerns in Sexual Health: Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
While “Blue Waffles” is not real, chlamydia and gonorrhea both pose serious health risks and have seen increases in infection rates in many regions worldwide. Both are bacterial infections and are transmitted sexually through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Both infections can lead to long-term damage if left untreated.
The symptoms share similarities in their symptoms, such as vaginal discharge (or from the penis), a burning sensation during urination, pain during sex, bleeding (between periods and after sex for women, and if infected in the rectum, both male and female can experience bleeding in the area), and pain in the lower abdomen (women), and itching or burning at the opening of the penis (males).
Chlamydia, caused by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis, is often known as the silent disease or killer due to its often-symptomless infection. Estimates show that more than 50% of infected males and 70% of infected females do not present with symptoms. Even when the symptoms manifest, they can be easily overlooked as they can be confused with other diseases, medical concerns, or infections. For up to 40% of infected women, untreated chlamydia can lead to PID, which has risks of abdominal pain, internal abscesses, long-lasting pelvic pain, and scarring of fallopian tubes (which can lead to infertility and increase the chances of ectopic or tubal pregnancies.)
Gonorrhea, often called the “clap,” is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhea. The infection can lead to infertility. For women, gonorrhea can lead to PID, which can lead to infertility and is incredibly uncomfortable. In men, gonorrhea can lead to epididymitis, a painful inflammation in the tubes attached to the testicles, and if left untreated, can, on rare occasions, lead to infertility.
These infections showcase the importance of accurate access to evidence-based medical information. With both infections on the rise and with gonorrhea showing resistance to antibiotics, ensuring that people worldwide have access to medical information and care is a key component of ending both these infections as public health threats globally.
Both chlamydia and gonorrhea are treatable, though medical professionals are seeing strains of drug-resistant gonorrhea circulating globally, which has been a growing concern and highlights the importance of accurate information and access to testing.
You can read more about different STIs and symptoms in our blog.
Prevention
STI prevention is one of the key ways to help reduce the onward transmission of STIs. These include the use of condoms (both male and female), regular testing (especially with multiple and new partners), and increased communication with all partners about sexual history and testing status.
While there are vaccines available for some STIs, such as HPV and hepatitis B (which can be spread sexually), most do not have a vaccine. It is worth noting that there is ongoing research on an HIV vaccine. You can read more about it and the work for an HIV cure in our blog here.
The Importance of Testing and Prevention
The only way to know your status for any STI is to get tested. Testing is vital in addressing public health concerns such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, or other STIs such as HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis. Without identifying infection, it is difficult to reduce and prevent onward infection and get people the treatment and care they need.
Depending on where an individual is, there are different ways of getting tested. One way to get tested is with rapid screening. With rapid tests, you receive accurate results, usually in 20 minutes or less, and with the INSTI® platform, you get results you can trust in just one minute or less. With tests for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C (and more coming), INSTI® helps remove barriers to testing with kits that are shelf-stable, portable, and have industry-leading accuracy.
Many STIs can occur without symptoms. Without regular access to testing, there is no definitive way to know. Removing barriers to accessible testing helps ensure that infection rates drop worldwide.
Getting tested is critical to ensuring that people can access treatment and care quickly to reduce the impact that STIs can have. Many STIs have cures and are treatable, such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. While some infections, such as HIV, do not have a cure, there is effective treatment available to manage the disease and allow those with it to live healthy lives and prevent transmitting it to their partners.
The increased availability of rapid tests has helped improve access worldwide to STI testing, especially in places where people face barriers to traditional healthcare. With results available within minutes instead of days, weeks, or even months, rapid screening tests allow people to quickly learn their status and get connected to the treatment they need. This helps individuals get tested and reduces onward infection and overall public health risk.
Who Should Get Tested
When someone is sexually active, STI testing is one of the most important things that can be done to continue protecting their health and making informed health choices that protect themselves and those they are connected with.
The CDC’s site has an in-depth list of testing recommendations. It includes what demographics should be tested, when they should be tested, and how often (the frequency) they should be tested.
Their recommendations are:
- All sexually active people ages 13 to 64 should be tested at least once for HIV every year
- All sexually active women younger than 25 years should be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year
- Women 25 years and older with risk factors should be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year. Risk factors include having new partners, multiple partners, or a partner who has an STI
- Everyone who is pregnant should be tested for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C starting early in pregnancy. Repeat testing may be needed
- Pregnant people at risk should also be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea starting early in pregnancy. Repeat testing may be needed in some cases
- Sexually active men who are gay or bisexual and men who have sex with men should be tested:
- For syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, at least once a year. Those with multiple or anonymous partners should be tested more frequently (e.g., every 3 to 6 months)
- For HIV at least once a year and may benefit from more frequent HIV testing (e.g., every 3 to 6 months)
- For hepatitis C, at least once a year, if living with HIV
- Anyone who shares injection drug equipment should get tested for HIV at least once a year
- People who have had oral or anal sex should talk with their healthcare provider about throat and rectal testing options
The Way Forward
While prevention and testing are necessary for public health strategies to address STIs, awareness is fundamental in providing communities with the information needed to protect their health and make informed decisions.
The “Blue Waffles” hoax highlights the importance of ensuring everyone has access to information about STIs, their symptoms, and how to protect themselves, including how and where to get tested.
However, perhaps this hoax showcases the need to ensure that people cannot only find information but also know how to assess it and ensure that it comes from credible, evidence-based sources such as the CDC, Health Canada, or the WHO.
To make inroads against these infections, a multi-faceted approach is required. Alongside increases in testing access and continued research into effective and safe vaccines, treatments, and cures, it is important to invest time, money, and effort into sexual health education and awareness. Building more awareness around STIs, symptoms, and testing is important alongside understanding consent, respect, and healthy communication in relationships. All of which will help improve the public’s understanding of STIs and the tools they can use to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Conclusion
The myth of the “Blue Waffles” infection serves as a reminder that misinformation exists and the harm it can do.
While social media and online sites offer the opportunity to learn more about various topics, it is important, especially regarding health, to critically assess who is sharing the information, what the information is, and what the intent is.
Everyone is different and has unique needs, and it is always recommended to speak to a healthcare professional, such as your doctor, nurse practitioner, or health clinic, to ensure that these needs are discussed and covered.
When looking for information related to sexual health or health in general, it is important to seek out credible sources of information that provide credible, evidence-based information on sexual health and STBBIs/STIs, including Health Canada, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and Planned Parenthood.
References
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/sti/testing/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/screeningreccs.htm
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/screening-recommendations.htm
Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/blue-waffle/
Planned Parenthood: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/whats-blue-waffle
Public Health Agency of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/canada-communicable-disease-report-ccdr/monthly-issue/2018-44/issue-2-february-1-2018/article-5-stigma-sexually-transmitted-infections.html
Public Health Agency of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/chlamydia.html
Public Health Agency of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/infectious-diseases/sexual-health-sexually-transmitted-infections/canadian-guidelines/chlamydia-lgv.html#a1.4
Public Health Agency of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/gonorrhea.html
Public Health Agency of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/infectious-diseases/sexual-health-sexually-transmitted-infections/canadian-guidelines.html