Game Theory: STDs – To Tell, or not to Tell Part 3 of 4

In my last post I talked about the table regarding to tell or not to tell when it comes to STD. As it stands no one would confess to having it:  “Under the spreading chestnut tree health epidemic, I infected you and you infected me.” Ouch!

And here is where morals come in. We’ve all got a conscience (people who do bad things just manage to drown out its voice better, or twist its messages to their own needs). Most human beings are generally decent, but rather selfish. The issue of STDs just happens to trigger that sense of self-preservation we all have, since there is a lot to lose by coming clean. 

But most people, when they do bad things, do suffer from varying degrees of conscience attacks. When I say varying, I mean everything from a mild, insignificant itch to a full blown, can’t-sleep-at-night sense of guilt. Let’s see how that guilt could be translated into the table:

	Sex Partner #2 avoids talking about his/her STD	Sex Partner # 2 confesses about his/her STD
Sex Partner #1 avoids talking about his/her STD	Intercourse, Cross-Infection. Both have to live with a guilty conscience.	*No intercourse, No Cross-Infection. Sex Partner #2 can live with a clean conscience.
Sex Partner # 1 confesses about his/her STD	*No intercourse, No Cross-Infection. Sex Partner #1 can live with a clean conscience.	*No intercourse, No Cross- Infection. Both can live with a clean conscience.

(continued in my next post...)