Gonorrhea:
Gonorrhea is a treatable sexually transmitted disease, or STD. Unfortunately, many people who have gonorrhea are asymptomatic.[i] The STD rates for Region 9 mimic the pregnancy rates. Ector County ranked 7th in Texas with the highest rates of Gonorrhea. Tom Green County was 12th and Midland County was 13th.
Syphilis:
Syphilis is an STD that can be cured if treated in the early stages. If not treated quickly, syphilis can cause long-term complications for the carrier. In 2013, there were 56,471 cases of syphilis reported to the CDC.[ii] Of these reported syphilis cases, 17,375 were primary and secondary syphilis. The P & S Syphilis is the earliest and most transmissible stages of syphilis. In the 90’s, syphilis primarily occurred among heterosexual men and women of ethnic minority groups. However, in the 2000’s, syphilis cases began to increase in homosexual men. Minorities are disproportionately affected by P & S Syphilis in the United States.[iii] No counties from Region 9 appear on the top twenty-five counties with P & S Syphilis. However, Reeves County is ranked first in Texas on the total number of syphilis case rates in 2014. Midland/Odessa Area AIDS Support tests individuals throughout the city in a mobile testing unit. In an interview with local AIDS Support Representatives, clinicians indicated there has been a large, recent uptick in the number of syphilis cases in Midland and Odessa. Health professionals are currently working to educate the public about syphilis and are trying to prevent an outbreak.
Chlamydia:
Chlamydia is a treatable STD and can be cured with antibiotics. If left untreated, chlamydia can cause serious consequences in women including pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal factor infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvis pain. Chlamydia is asymptomatic and screening by a doctor is necessary to identify the infection. In 2013, there 128,036 reported cases of chlamydia in Texas. Data shows chlamydia cases are down 2.4% from 2012 in Texas. In 2011, the cases of chlamydia being diagnosed were the highest.
Kevin Thompson Regional Evaluator Region 9 Prevention Resource Center kthompson@pbrcada.org
[i]Center for Disease Control, Gonorrhea-CDC Fact Sheet, www.cdc.gov/std/gonorrhea/stdfact-gonorrhea-detailed.htm, May 12, 2016.
[ii] Center for Disease Control, Syphilis-CDC Fact Sheet, http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats13/syphilis.htm, May 12, 2016.
[iii] Center for Disease Control, STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities, http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats13/minorities.htm, May 12, 2016.
Published August 12, 2016.
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