Sacramento County sees alarming rise in STDs. What’s behind the big increase? - Sacramento Bee

Sacramento County sees alarming rise in STDs. What’s behind the big increase? - Sacramento Bee
CNN Video Data shows STDs increasing again in Michigan - WDIV ClickOnDetroit
STDs at all-time high in Sacramento County, reach epidemic levels across California - ABC10.com KXTV
STD cases increase in Michigan again - WNDU-TV

Posted: 30 Oct 2019 05:20 AM PDT

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Sacramento County sees alarming rise in STDs. What's behind the big increase? Sacramento Bee

CNN Video Data shows STDs increasing again in Michigan - WDIV ClickOnDetroit

Posted: 29 Oct 2019 10:19 AM PDT

Michigan health officials say they've detected an increase in STD cases in the last year.

Combined cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia reached an all-time high in the United States in 2018, according to a recently released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report (CDC). The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is urging regular testing among sexually active individuals to help stop the spread of these sexually transmitted diseases.

According to 2018 state-level STD data, Michigan is experiencing similar trends as cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis all increased last year.

"Many infected people are unaware of their status which allows them to unknowingly pass it to their partners," said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. "All sexually active individuals should speak to their health care provider about regular testing so they can get proper treatment and prevent the spread of disease."

The state has experienced between 45,000 and 51,000 cases of chlamydia annually since 2008, and in 2018 reports increased under 1 percent to just over 51,000. Gonorrhea cases dropped nearly by half from 2008 to 2014 but have climbed 70 percent since then including a 10 percent jump in 2018 to 16,922 cases. Reports of syphilis had dropped following an outbreak in 2013 but jumped 36 percent in 2018 to 654 cases.

Most of these increases are being seen in adolescents, African American men and women and men who have sex with men.

STDs often cause symptoms in men, including burning upon urination, discharge, rashes or sores. In most female cases there are no symptoms. Syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics. However, if left untreated, the individual can pass on the infection even if there are no symptoms.

Undiagnosed and untreated syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia can lead to severe adverse health effects that include infertility, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth in infants and increased HIV risk.

Screening and prompt treatment are critical to protect a person's health and prevent transmission to others. MDHHS works with local health departments, healthcare providers, pharmacists and community-based organizations to test, treat and increase awareness about STDs as well as provide non-traditional opportunities to access service.

These initiatives focus on priority populations such as women of childbearing age and adolescents, as well as Michigan's most vulnerable residents.

STDs at all-time high in Sacramento County, reach epidemic levels across California - ABC10.com KXTV

Posted: 30 Oct 2019 05:19 PM PDT

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — The number of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) reported in Sacramento County jumped significantly in 2018, up from the last five years.

This increase represents an overall trend across California and the whole of the U.S. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia were reported in 2018, an all-time high.

According to Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood Cheri Greven, youth are especially hard-hit by this epidemic.

"Half of all chlamydia cases and a third of all gonorrhea cases in the state are in young people -- many of whom don't regularly use condoms, according to research data," Greven said.

In Sacramento County alone 11,650 residents were diagnosed with chlamydia in 2018. This is 1,881 more cases than last year, representing a nearly 20% increase in infected residents.

In California as a whole, Sacramento's chlamydia infection rate ranked fifth out of all counties included in the study.

Chlamydia is caused by bacteria and often people with this STD show no symptoms.

In 2018, 3,840 cases of gonorrhea were reported in Sacramento County, up from 3,329 cases in 2017 (an increase of about 15%) and 2,208 cases in 2014 (an increase of about 70%). Sacramento ranked seventh among California counties for highest gonorrhea rate.

Gonorrhea can cause infections and is very common. It can be painful and when untreated and can also spread to your blood or joints. It is sometimes life-threatening.

The number of cases of primary and secondary syphilis nearly tripled in the last five years. In 2014, Sacramento County found 141 cases of syphilis. This year, that number jumped to 418, up from 289 in 2017.

In recent years, doctors saw the greatest increase in syphilis among women. For females aged 15-44 in Sacramento County, the number of primary and secondary cases of syphilis infection from 2014 to 2018 had increased 14 times over (from 7 cases in 2014 to a staggering 99 cases in 2018).

Though some news outlets have reported that dating apps are to blame, Brittni Frederiksen, a senior policy analyst at Kaiser Family Foundation, says there is not enough information to confirm this claim.

"I don't think we have a lot of info. about the association between dating apps and STIs," Frederiksen said in a conversation with ABC10. "I think it could be a number of reasons why STIs are increasing, and we're seeing an increase across the country."

Instead, Frederiksen identifies personal finances, fear of parental figures, and lack of federal funding as potential causes for the spikes in STD infection.

"I think sometimes young people don't have an ability to pay for STD services, or they're on their parent's insurance, and because often an explanation of benefits is sent home to their parents saying what services you've received, they don't want their parents to find out about any STD treatment or testing," Frederiksen said.

For a long time, Title X clinics were able to provide affordable and confidential family planning services, helping to mitigate some of the issues that Frederiksen mentions. However, many family planning services that qualified for Title X funding, like Planned Parenthood, recently left the program as a result of a new Trump administration rule that prohibited clinics from referring women for abortions. Though Planned Parenthood still offers services, their funding has decreased significantly.

Greven added additional potential causes of the increase in STD rates, pointing to poverty and homelessness as driving factors behind risky sexual behavior.

"It's important to note that the rise in opioid use coincides with increasing rates of STIs," Greven said. "Public health experts have established a link between opioid users transitioning to methamphetamine-use and subsequent risky sexual behaviors."

Frederiksen also suggests that nationwide decreases in condom use plays a role in the increase in rates of STDs.

"We've seen condom use decrease from 63% in 2003 to 53.8 percent in 2017," Frederiksen said. "Women are using more effective methods of contraception, like IUDs and implants. So, being less worried about pregnancies, you still have to worry about STIs."

STDs often have severe health consequences. They can be difficult to detect, as those affected sometimes show no symptoms. Left untreated, STDs can cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside of the womb), and increased HIV risk. Among the most tragic consequences are newborn deaths related to syphilis, which increased 22 percent from 2017 to 2018 according to CDC data.

It's especially important to erase the stigma of STDs so that people who are infected can feel open to receiving treatment.

"I think there's a lot of embarrassment and stigma around STDs, but so many people have them," Frederiksen said.

The good news, Greven says, is that all three of the STDs mentioned can be cured with the right treatment. Medication, when taken properly, can not only stop the infection but may decrease the likelihood of complications later on.

"The good news is that gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis are 100% treatable with antibiotics -- even during pregnancy, and without harm to the fetus," Greven said. "To protect yourself from STIs, you and your partner should be tested -- and treated, if necessary -- which you can do at any Planned Parenthood health center."

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STD cases increase in Michigan again - WNDU-TV

Posted: 29 Oct 2019 10:17 AM PDT

LANSING, Mich. (WNDU) – The number of sexually transmitted disease cases in Michigan has increased again, mirroring nationwide trends.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a national all-time high in the number of cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia in 2018.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the state is on a similar arc.

"Many infected people are unaware of their status, which allows them to unknowingly pass it to their partners," said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. "All sexually active individuals should speak to their health care provider about regular testing so they can get proper treatment and prevent the spread of disease."

The state health department says most of the increases are occurring in populations like adolescents, African American men and women, and men who have sex with men.

STDs often show symptoms in men like "burning upon urination, discharge, rashes or sores," according to a health department release. Women, on the other hand, often do not exhibit symptoms.

More from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Combined cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia reached an all-time high in the United States in 2018, according to a recently released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report (CDC). The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is urging regular testing among sexually active individuals to help stop the spread of these sexually transmitted diseases.

According to 2018 state-level STD data, Michigan is experiencing similar trends as cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis all increased last year.

Most of these increases are being seen in adolescents, African American men and women and men who have sex with men.

Undiagnosed and untreated syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia can lead to severe adverse health effects that include infertility, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth in infants and increased HIV risk.

To ensure that STD screening and treatment are accessible to those at highest risk, MDHHS has established STD specialty care centers to increase service options in select areas. Additionally, efforts to build community awareness and provide technical assistance to medical providers have increased. These initiatives focus on priority populations such as women of childbearing age and adolescents, as well as Michigan's most vulnerable residents.

Understanding risk, abstaining from sex, reducing the number of partners and consistently and correctly using condoms are all effective strategies to prevent the spread of STDs, Khaldun said.

For more information, visit Michigan.gov/hivstd.

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