Chlamydia cases reach all-time high[SIZE=-1]
What's more, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than half of all cases are either undiagnosed or unreported, pushing the actual total cases for 2007 to about 2.8 million. The report also notes concern for gonorrhea infection rates, which reached 356,000 reported cases in 2007.
Both Chlamydia and gonorrhea are bacterial infections that can be readily cured by antibiotics. But because they?most notably Chlamydia?cause no obvious symptoms and often go undetected, their victims are prone to serious consequences.
Women face the greatest health risks. Untreated infections can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in females, which can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy (an abnormal pregnancy in which the fetus develops outside the womb), and chronic pelvic pain. Evidence suggests that up to 40 percent of women with untreated Chlamydia can develop PID. Complications are far less common in men, but can include inflammation of the prostate, testicles, and urethra, and in rare cases, lead to sterility. Furthermore, studies suggest that these infections can increase the risk of HIV infection in both men and women.
While these diseases are widespread, the good news is that tests and treatments are usually cheap, simple, and effective. Early detection can help prevent the spread of the disease and lead to effective treatment. One study suggests screening and treatment can reduce PID cases by over 50 percent.
The primary symptoms of both diseases for men and women include abnormal discharge and pain or burning during urination or sex. In women, PID can cause pain in the lower abdomen or back, and bleeding between menstrual periods. If you experience those symptoms, stop having sex and talk to your doctor. It?s important for your partner to be screened also, to avoid re-infection.
Sexually transmitted diseases can be transmitted during anal, oral or vaginal sex, so prevent infections by talking honestly with your sexual partner or partners, and if you are not in a monogamous relationship, use condoms.
The CDC recommends that all sexually active women under age 26 should get a Chlamydia screening every year, as should older women with new, or multiple, sex partners. At-risk, sexually active women should also have gonorrhea screening. Sexually active gay and bisexual men should have an annual test for both. See our condition guides and Treatment Ratings, for more on Chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Syphilis also on the rise. The CDC report also notes rising rates of syphilis. That highly contagious genital ulcerative disease reached an all-time low in 2000, and was on the verge of elimination. But since then, rates of syphilis infections have risen, reaching 11,500 reported cases in 2007. The greatest increase is among gay and bisexual men. While rates in women have risen more slowly than in men, they have increased for each year since 2004, which has also led to increased rates of congenital syphilis, which is spread from mother to child.
Syphilis can be easily cured with antibiotics if diagnosed early. But left untreated, it can lead to serious complications including brain damage and cardiovascular disease, Pregnant women with syphilis can spread the infection to the child, which can lead to stillbirth, physical deformities, neurological complications, or death soon after birth. And like many other STDs, syphilis can increase the risk of contracting HIV.
In early stages, syphilis symptoms include a single, small, painless sore at an area of sexual contact, usually the genital area, lips, mouth, or anus. It can also cause enlargement of the lymph nodes draining the area. Left untreated, it usually causes a generalized skin rash that often appears on hands and feet. Sexual contact should be discouraged until appropriate treatment has been concluded.
The CDC recommends that all gay and bisexual men be screened for syphilis annually, and that pregnant women be screened at the time of their first prenatal exam. There are alarming racial disparities in the rate of all sexually transmitted diseases, with African Americans accounting for a disproportionate number of cases. While blacks make up just 12 percent of the U.S. population, they represented about 70 percent of gonorrhea cases in 2007, and nearly 50 percent of both Chlamydia and syphilis cases. Hispanics were also disproportionately affected. The CDC calls for greater screening and prevention efforts overall, and increased access to such services in these communities.
CR's Take: Condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission of these STDs. For additional information on STDs, visit the CDC site.
?Kevin McCarthy, associate editor
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