The statistics about the sexually transmitted diseases (STD) is pretty scary.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that in the last year more than two million Americans were infected with diseases like gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia. This is the highest number of STD cases ever reported.
The director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention Dr. Gail Bolan said that this is a profoundly negative trend, which needs to be stopped. Dr. Gail Bolan believes that every community in America should know about this problem and be aware of the risk. Only this way all the people will be educated, and there is a possibility that the trend will turn. Dr. Gail further added that the CDC cannot do this alone because there are so many people involved in this problem and the number is growing with each day.
To go into more detail, the annual report of sexually transmitted diseases showed that the most popular diseases were chlamydia with over 1.6 million new cases. The second place went to gonorrhea with 470,000 cases, and the least popular was syphilis with 28,000 cases. All these diseases are curable with antibiotics, but the problem is that many people do not know that they have a disease and unknowingly spread it to others. Without a diagnosis, there cannot be any treatment.
Although these diseases are not deadly, they still have severe consequences. If not treated in time, they can cause infertility, neurological issues and also an increased risk for HIV.
The statistics only took into consideration the three STDs – gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia, because together with HIV these are required by law to be reported. But there are other diseases like herpes, which are not tracked. The CDC estimates that the number of new cases of STD a year can be around 20 million and at least half of the infected are young people aged 15-24.
The sexually transmitted diseases are more common among young people because they tend to be less careful and have more one night stands. So it is imperative to spread the word among young people.
Common STDs
The most common STD is chlamydia, which was also confirmed by the 2016 statistics, that showed over 1.6 million cases. Chlamydia is caused by a bacteria and is easily transmitted during all forms of sexual activity (oral, vaginal or anal) and also during childbirth. Most people do not experience any symptoms with chlamydia, which is also the reason it often goes untreated. In women, chlamydia can cause inflammatory disease, which can scar and affect fertility. In men, it can cause testicular pain and swelling.
The other bacteria that sometimes does not show any symptoms is gonorrhea. This STD can be a silent infection, but it also can display symptoms as burning feeling during urination and vaginal or penile discharge. If caught anally, it can also create itching, bleed, and painful bowel movement. If not treated correctly, gonorrhea can cause infertility and long-term pains.
The third most common STD is syphilis, which is also the most dangerous one. If these bacteria are left untreated, it can lead to brain and heart damages and also affect other organs. Syphilis can even result in death. Although syphilis has symptoms, it is tough to understand yourself that you are infected. Syphilis’ symptoms include rashes, sores, fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, headaches, muscle aches and fatigue, which are quite common symptoms for many mild diseases.
The spreading of syphilis has increased 18% between the years 2015 and 2016. This is mostly caused by men having sex with other men. The disease also spreads during childbirth – mothers pass it on to their children. There were 628 cases of this happening in the last year, with more than 40 of them ended with the newborns’ deaths, and many suffered from health complications.
Bolan says that it is straightforward to cure syphilis even among newborns, but the tricky part is getting the diagnose because a lot of people do not suspect that they are infected.
The doctors of CDC believe that there should be more funding for the prevention, education and healthcare programs. There should be more focus on younger people and teenagers as well. Sex and sexually transmitted diseases should not be a topic the society is too embarrassed to talk about. It should be discussed, and with it, safe sex should be promoted.
The doctors think that everyone should go to checkups at least once a year and it is crucial to get the habit into everyone.
It might be a little bit embarrassing to confess having an STD, but it is important that these people come forward and share their experiences with others. Only this way we can educate the younger generation and make them understand that STDs are serious diseases and these are likely to happen if you do not use protection.
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