Syphilis Rises 36% In USA In Four Years

 

[On a personal note, I believe I knew 2 men in Liberia who had STD’s. One developed an eye condition that is usually caused by syphilis, another developed sporadic muscle spasms that are usually associated with syphilis..

Now I think that when I was in Liberia in 1980/81 as a Peace Corps in education, I should have taught a whole week on sexually transmitted diseases…1980 was the year HIV/AIDS was identified as a disease I think]

 

From the 17 November 2011 Medical News Today page

From 2006 to 2010, the number of reportedsyphilis cases in the USA rose 36%. Among young, African-American males the rate rose by 135%, according to a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The authors explained that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are hidden epidemics of huge health and economic consequences in the USA. STDs are called hidden epidemics because a considerable number of infected people are unwilling to come forward openly, and also because of the social and biologic characteristics of these types of diseases.

The authors wrote:

“All Americans have an interest in STD prevention because all communities are impacted by STDs and all individuals directly or indirectly pay for the costs of these diseases.”

The CDC believes that sexually active males with male partners should be screened for STDs once every three months, rather than yearly.

Gonorrhea – reported cases of gonorrhea fell 16% over the four-year period, down to their lowest levels ever. However, over the last year they have risen slightly. In 2010 there were over 300,000 reported cases. According to some CDC surveillance systems, gonorrhea is becoming resistant to the only medication available for this disease.

Chlamydia – the number of reported cases rose 24%, due to an increase in screenings. There were approximately 1.3 million cases reported in 2010. The majority of people in America with Chlamydia are undiagnosed – they don’t know they have it. The CDC recommends that all sexually active young women be screened annually; less than half of them do so.

Syphilis – after a long period of increased rates, the incidence of syphilis dropped 1.6 since 2009. The rate among young, African-American males rose 134% from 2006 to 2010. The rate among African-American MSM (men who have sex with men) rose considerably, the reported added.

Nineteen million new cases of STDs are diagnosed annually in the USA. STDs cost the health-care system $17 billion a year.

Of those in high risk groups, only half are being tested, the authors wrote. A significant number of infected individuals are unaware, because they have no symptoms……

 

Educational Resources

• 2010 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance (US Centers for Disease Control) 
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases(US Centers for Disease Control) –publications, fact sheets, and more

From the MedlinePlus page for Sexually Transmitted Diseases

• Overviews

  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

• Diagnosis/Symptoms

  • Genital Problems in Men(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  • Genital Problems in Women(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  • STD Symptoms: Common STDs and Their Symptoms(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

• Prevention/Screening

  • Condoms(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • STD Testing: What to Know Before Your Appointment(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

• Specific Conditions

  • Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Syphilis(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
  • Granuloma Inguinale(Merck & Co., Inc.)
  • Lymphogranuloma Venereum (LGV)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)- PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Molluscum (Molluscum Contagiosum)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Pubic “Crab” Lice (Pthiriasis)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Return to top

• Related Issues

  • Cervicitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Hepatitis B(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Role of STD Detection and Treatment in HIV Prevention(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • STDs and Related Conditions (and Oral Health)(Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine)
  • Vaginitis(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
  • Return to top

• Pictures & Photographs

  • Lymphogranuloma Venereum (LGV)(Logical Images)
  • Molluscum Contagiosum(Logical Images)
  • Pubic Lice (Pediculosis Pubis)(Logical Images)
  • Return to top

• Health Check Tools

  • Genital Pain in Men(DSHI Systems)
  • Genital Sores(DSHI Systems)
  • Vaginal Discharge(DSHI Systems)
  • Return to top

• Tutorials

  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

 

 

Read the article

 

Related articles

• Syphilis rates drop, but STDs still big problem (msnbc.msn.com)
• Syphilis Increase in U.S. Leads to Call for More Screenings (businessweek.com)
• New STD Rates “Shockingly High” (dgsma.wordpress.com)
• Report: Blacks Hit by STDs More Than Whites (theroot.com)
• Chlamydia Tops STDs Reported to CDC (webmd.com)
• Two sex-spread diseases increase, syphilis down (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• New Data Show Syphilis Threatens the Health of a New Generation of Gay and Bisexual Men (cdc.gov)
• CDC: Fewer teens are having sex (marksloanmd.wordpress.com)