Sexually transmitted diseases are one of the major health concerns of the US people. Despite taking several preventive measures to reduce the spread of STDs, the nation is fighting a losing battle as STD trends continue to rise in an upward trend for six consecutive years. The rise in the rate of infection hit the nation with a hard blow as the cases continued to climb. STD testing should be taken seriously by every sexually active person to protect themselves and the nation as a whole.
Rising STD Cases in the US
The CDC reported that the common STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis reached their peaks in 2018. While they may be common and treatable, they may cause various health issues if they are not treated on time. Prolonged STDs like syphilis can cause congenital disabilities in newborns and stillbirth babies. The alarming fact is that syphilis had a 22% increase between 2017 to 2018, with 115,000 cases. Congenital syphilis rose to a 40% increase accounting for over 1,300 cases.
The report suggests that both chlamydia and gonorrhea faced a similar outcome. There were over 1.7 million chlamydia cases reported which is a 3% increase from the previous year’s report. Gonorrhea also witnessed a 5% increase bringing the number of total cases to 580,000. According to the 2019 CDC report, the nation recorded over 2.5 million STD cases of either syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
The only way to ensure a safer sexual environment is to curb the spread of the infection. This can minimize the chances of reproductive health complications such as infertility, HIV, and even cancer. Most STDs are treatable with antibiotics. Even irreversible infections like herpes and HIV can be effectively managed with proper treatment. If the infection is not diagnosed and treated on time, the treatment may not only become more complex, but it put the infected person at risk of long-term health conditions.
Who Does STDs Affect Most
Any sexually active person can get infected with STDs. However, some particular groups are more vulnerable to exposure. Men who practice gay sex are one of the highest-risk groups to contract an STD. They account for a huge part of the number of STD cases in the nation. Gay men account for up to 70% of either primary or secondary syphilis.
Adolescents and young adults are also prone to catching the infection. Those females between the age of 15 to 24 accounts for an estimated 45% of chlamydia cases in the nation. People who have multiple sex partners or exchange syringes during drug use are also at a high risk of getting infected with STDs. Pregnant women are advised to go for routine STD checkups so that the infection does not complicate things for both the mother and the baby during birth.
Reason Behind High STD Rates
Many factors come into play that contributes to the increasing STD rates in the US. The lack of testing is one of the top reasons that is rendering a high positive STD rate. Since most STDs are asymptomatic, a person can have an STD for years without knowing about it. This increases the risk of transmission with their partners. With the health centers closed during the pandemic, testing fell short, and the nation witnessed a false decline in STD cases.
Another reason why the rate of STD transmission cannot be controlled is because of unprotected sex. Protection during sex is necessary if you don’t want to risk getting infected with an STD. While they are not 100% reliable, condoms and dental barriers are highly effective in decreasing your chances of getting infected.
COVID-19 Impact on STDs
Many health professionals believe that many people with STDs are undetected as the pandemic locks everyone in their homes. The COVID-19 pandemic has left the nation with more undetected cases than ever. Since the STD testing centers gradually became inoperative, the rate of testing subsequently decreased. Because of the COVID-19 emergency, many health workers who work with sexual health are transferred to COVID facilities to tend to the patients. This has led to a lack of health professionals to offer STD testing.
Without tests, the nation failed to record the exact number of positive STD cases. The low STD testing rates are a topic of concern as there are many undiagnosed people infected with STDs. These people have a high risk of transmitting the infection to a sexual partner without knowing. Now that the testing centers are opening up, more STD testing is conducted. The increase in testing suggests that there is a remarkable increase in the rate of STDs among the residents across all the states in the US. This only means one thing; every sexually active person should get tested and get treated for potential STDs and contribute to lowering the rate of transmission of the infection.
Measures to Control High National STD Rates
Health workers from all parts of the nation are concerned with the flow rate of testing. The only way to manage and keep the national STD rate under control is to get tested. Many STDs are treated easily. The only thing you need is a diagnosis. Getting tested for STDs doesn’t have to be problematic. There are many STD labs across each state in the US where you can get discreet and confidential STD tests.
The stigma that surrounds STDs needs to be eradicated. Rough judgment of the infection only contributes to higher STD cases as more people rather not test to avoid stigma. Without tests, there is a great risk of disease transmission by people who aren’t experiencing any symptoms or abnormal changes. As STDs are primarily spread through sexual contact, it always helps to use protection such as a condom while having sex with a partner. This minimizes the chance of getting infected with an STD. As more and more cases are reported with testing, the nation is witnessing a difficult period trying to tame this sexual infection.
