United States Reports Record High Number of STDs
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by: Ken Brower
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It’s always great to break previously held records unless, as in this case, the record involves number of cases of STDs like chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. In 2006, the United States hit an all-time high with the number of cases of chlamydia reported - over a million. To put that in perspective, that is about 348 people in every 100,000. That may not seem like a lot, but that is a 5.6% increase from the previous year. Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that usually goes unnoticed but that can lead to reproductive issues if left untreated. Last year alone, 1,031,000 cases of chlamydia were reported which shattered the record for number of cases of a sexually transmitted disease. The previous record was attributed to 1978 (with gonorrhea cases) which had almost 18,000 fewer cases than 2006. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there might be a positive spin to this new record: much better screening methods which catch cases of chlamydia that were previously never reported. As for risk factors for chlamydia, reports suggest that black women are 7 times more likely to become infected with this STD than white women and 2 times more likely to become infected than Hispanic women. Nevertheless, chlamydia will attack without regard to race, so sexually active women should always practice safe sex.
Gonorrhea is another sexually transmitted disease that seems to be resurging after being at an all-time low. Gonorrhea, like chlamydia, is often symptom-less and can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women or epididymitis in men if left untreated. These new cases of gonorrhea, however, come with a little bit of a twist. They seem to be of a new “superbug” strain that has grown resistant to the antibiotics that are usually used to treat it. Both 2005 and 2006 saw the number of gonorrhea cases steadily rise with some cities reporting almost 15 percent of these stemming from the “superbug” variety. Researchers are not quite convinced that this new “superbug” strain of gonorrhea is causing this steady increase of cases, but they are hard-pressed finding another definitive cause. What worries researches and doctors most is that this new “superbug” strain is traveling from Hawaii and California across the U.S. into the Midwest and through the southern regions, and does not seem to be letting up.
Meanwhile, syphilis cases increased for the first time in the last decade and a half. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that, without treatment, can damage several internal organs and cause dementia, blindness, paralysis or even death. Although syphilis is rare, there was a 14% increase of cases between 2005 and 2006.
With these three sexually transmitted diseases on an increasing trend, it is more important than ever to stress the benefits of safe sex. Whether we become vocal supporters of safe sex and condom use on a public platform in our communities, by volunteering in a non-profit organization or in our own homes within our own circle of families and friends, it is a problem that needs to be addressed.
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