Ladies be Safe!!!
Rising STD rates in the United States
In the United States alone, there are nearly 20 million cases of new sexually transmitted infections yearly, from just eight viruses and bacteria, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The eight most common STDs in the U.S. are chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus (HBV), genital herpes, HIV, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis and trichomoniasis. About 50.5 million of these current infections are in men, and 59.5 million are in women, according to the CDC’s 2013 report, in which the researchers looked at 2008 data.
Each year, new cases of STDs cost nearly $16 billion in direct medical costs. Fifty percent of these new infections occur in young people, ages 15-24, even though this age group represents only a quarter of people who have had sex.
- How can Chlamydia be detected?
Chlamydia can be easily detected by a vaginal swab or culture during a routine pap smear. Chlamydia can also be tested in the urine if you are uncomfortable with a pelvic exam. Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD in the United States. But most people with chlamydial infections may not show any symptoms, and so the number of actual infections is much higher than the number of those reported, which was 1.4 million in 2012, or a rate of 457 cases per 100,000 people.
- How is Chlamydia cured?
It is easy to cure chlamydia – it is a bacterial infection treated with antibiotics.
- What if Chlamydia is not cured?
If left untreated, the infection can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant. An untreated chlamydial infection can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (an infection of the reproductive organs), in about 10 to 15 percent of infected women, and lead to infertility.
- How can you make sure Chlamydia has been treated?
You need to visit your gynecologist 3 months after the treatment to make sure it is out of your system.
- Does your partner need to be treated?
Yes, your current and prior partners need to be traced and treated to avoid spread of Chlamydia in the community. Male partners may not have any symptoms, thereby making detection hard. The antibiotics are recommended for all partners, who should also be tested subsequently for “test of cure”. Protection should be used until test of cure culture has been confirmed negative.
Stay tuned for more….
Adeeti Gupta MD, FACOG