Gone are the days when Valentine's Day meant only flowers, cards, candy and romantic dinners. Now it's a very costly epidemic of sexually-transmitted diseases, the promotion of same-sex marriage, abortion and contraception here in the U.S. and overseas, and billboards advertising "hook-ups."

And, of course, flowers, cards, candy and romantic dinners.

First, from The Washington Times:

The Centers for Disease Control released a new report this month revealing the U.S. health care system handles roughly 20 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections annually, costing the nation $15.6 billion.

The report says that sexually transmitted infections are taking a 'severe human and economic burden' on the United States. There are currently 110 million cases in the country, with half of those affecting young adults ages 15 to 24....

So much for government-funded Planned Parenthood's sex education programs. 

Second, from the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute:

A Presidential Memorandum issued last month by President Obama under the guise of gender equality and women's empowerment will be used to advance sexual and reproductive health, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights overseas.

Abortion activists applauded the president's directive Coordination of Policies and Programs to Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women and Girls Globally as a means to ensure that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's work on sexual and reproductive health and rights remains a priority in U.S. foreign policy and development assistance....

The Presidential Memorandum is consistent with Obama's previous actions to promulgate sexual and reproductive rights overseas. He reinstated funding to the United Nations Population Fund, ceased by President Bush for its complicity with China's One Child Policy, overturned the Mexico City Policy that barred federal funding of international abortion groups that commit abortions and advocate for overturning laws that protect unborn children and their mothers, and is giving USAID funding to groups that normalize risky sexual behavior and promote unsafe distribution of morning-after pills to teens.   

Last but not least, an obnoxious billboard is now displayed in a prominent place (frequented by families and tourists) in downtown Chicago.

From DNAinfo.com Chicago:

The racy billboard for the adult dating site [redacted] features porn star Bree Olson and includes the line: 'Because the best job is a b--w job.'....

Asked about it Wednesday by WBBM Channel 2 reporter Jay Levine, Mayor Rahm Emanuel seemed at first taken aback, but then said it was a First Amendment issue. 'There are certain things you say I don't think are appropriate also,' he told Levine. 'I'm not going to respond to that, because I haven't seen it. ... But we do have a First Amendment.'

The billboard is owned by Urban Core Outdoor, a Chicago company, which did not return calls for comment. The adult website has stated the job-related ad campaign was specifically designed for Chicago given the tough unemployment situation here....

Gosh, I sure hope they didn't get the idea from Bill Clinton.