Don’t ‘celebrate’ 2020 with an STD

Steady rise in cases

For the fifth consecutive year, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have reached all-time highs in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than two million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported nationwide in 2018 alone. As the new year unfolds, Solano Public Health is calling on the community to Talk, Test, Treat — talk about STDs, get tested, and receive treatment to curb STD rates.

STDs continue to be a major public health problem in Solano County as well. From 2015 to 2018, chlamydia cases are up 27 percent; gonorrhea cases increased by 39 percent; and syphilis cases jumped 113 percent. Teens and young adults age 15-29 accounted for nearly 73 percent of all STD cases in 2018 in Solano County. The risk of contracting STDs disproportionately hits Black/African American communities the hardest.

Multiple factors contribute to the overall increase in STDs, including a decline in condom use, drug use, and systemic issues such as unstable housing, lack of access to STD screenings and treatment, poverty, and decreased funding in STD programs at the state and local levels.

Most cases go undiagnosed and untreated. Because STDs often have no symptoms, many people are unaware that they are infected and unknowingly pass it on to others. Many people falsely believe that they cannot become infected with an STD through oral sex. Unfortunately, diseases such as gonorrhea, chlamydia and, in some rare cases, syphilis can be spread through oral sex. Using a condom every time during sexual intercourse is one of the best ways to protect yourself from STDs.

Without treatment, STDs can lead to serious health problems, including infertility (inability to become pregnant), long-term abdominal pain and pregnancy complications. Congenital syphilis among newborns (syphilis passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy), in particular, is becoming a troubling trend nationwide, with cases up 40% from 2017 according to the CDC. Congenital syphilis can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight and lifelong physical and developmental health problems for the child.

Yet, STDs can easily be treated, and most can be cured. Early detection can prevent the spread of STDs and reduce complications through treatment. You can take action to protect your health, as well as your partner’s, by doing three things: Talk. Test. Treat.

• Talk openly and honestly about STDs with your partner and health care provider. Open communication is essential to staying healthy and stopping the spread of STDs.

• Get tested regularly if you are sexually active. Since not all medical checkups include STD testing, ask your health care provider which STDs you should be tested for. Find an STD testing location near you by visiting gettested.cdc.gov or call Solano Public Health at 707-784-2010.

• If you test positive for an STD, work with your health care provider to get the right treatment. Follow all treatment recommendations, even if you feel better before you complete all of the medication.

Curbing the rising rates of STDs can be achieved when community members, health care providers and public health work together to address systemic factors by reducing health disparities among overburdened communities, increasing access to STD testing services, making

STD screening a standard part of medical care, and reinforcing stronger messaging about preventing and treating STDs.