STDs are on the rise, local medical professionals encourage the power of prevention

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Centers for Disease Control published a report indicating a 7% increase in Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD).

2.5 million cases of STDs were reported nationwide in 2021.

Chlamydia accounted for more than half of the cases.

In 2021, Yuma County recorded more than 1,000 cases of chlamydia, a 17% increase from 2020.

Sarah Deleon, a nurse practitioner with the Yuma County Health Department urges residents to take preventative measures to stay safe

Deleon says “protect yourself, whether through abstinence or whether it’s through wearing condoms, limit your sexual partners and know your sexual partners as well.”

Across the country, syphilis cases surged at an alarming rate of 32% among pregnant women and passed along to their unborn babies.

In Yuma County, there were a total of 75 syphilis cases in 2021.