Spike in the Spread
It’s a shocking reality that most people do not know what the most common STD is. Some don’t even know what STD stands for.
The number of people with sexually transmitted diseases is growing all across America. California has seen a spike in the last three years. The California Department of Public Health says there were more than 300,000 cases of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and early Syphilis reported last year. That’s a 45 percent increase compared to 2012, but why?
“People have forgotten some of these conditions and they think that maybe they have gone away and unfortunately that is not the case and so what happens when we forget about things? We then change our behavior and that puts us more at risk and then the cases start to rise,” said Dr. Stephen Munday, Physician, at the County Public Health Officer in Imperial County.
Another factor that plays into the increase? The number of people getting tested now is higher than before. While the highest rate of STD’S comes from those 15-24 years old. Surprisingly, STD rates have hit an all-time high for another age group. It’s on the rise for 45 and older.
“It’s because we don’t get checked,” said Peggy, El Centro Resident.
“Relating to that of sexual infections that are coming from groups of an older age and now that we are surpassing from those who are over 40, it is said that those over 40 can feel old and want to feel young again. The border is so close and some want to go and have fun with those who work the night and that’s when they come home and pass that ‘thing’ along,” said another El Centro Resident.
(acerca de eso de de las infecciones sexuales que se esta viniendo de los grupos de mayor edad ahora que estamos pasando alla de los 40 que todo tiempo dicen que 40 para adelante sentimos la vejez y queremos sentirnos jovenes. la frontera esta muy cercas y quieren divertirse con las personas que trabajan ahi de la noche y eso es cuando vienen a sus hogares y pasan esa cosa)
“You get to a certain age and you just assume you’re not at risk anymore and then you perhaps don’t take appropriate precautions to decrease your risk when you’re sexually active. I think some of it is behavioral. You just sort of assume when you get to a certain age that you’re perhaps in a monogamous relationship or at least the number of sexual partners has decreased,” said Dr. Munday.
While the rise of STD’S in those 45 and older has increased drastically, in Imperial County, the “Big Three” are all on the rise. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea have increased by about 15 percent, where as Syphilis has increased by 50% in the last year, according to the Imperial County Health Department.
While Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are transmitted sexually though oral, anal and/or vaginal sex, Syphilis can be contracted through an open sore or lesion anywhere on the body, the most common being the private region.
“What’s interesting about Syphilis is that the lesion can heal even though the person still has the organism in their body. and then it can go to other organs and can cause serious damage over a series of years,” said Dr. Munday.
Both Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and Syphilis can be treated and cured by using specific antibiotics. The most common STD is HPV, the Human Papillomavirus and it can be prevented and cured by the vaccine Gardasil. Unfortunately for HIV and herpes Doctors have yet to find a cure. There are treatments that one can take to control symptoms, but once you contract either of those STD’S, you are permanently infected.
“You know it’s one of those things, where if i don’t know, it’s not going to hurt me and that’s unfortunate because that’s not the case. Most of these conditions can be cured or at the very least treated,” said Dr. Munday.
“We must feel and know more about this information. The city must intervene with this because for example now that it is summer they offer swimming and yoga classes, but they should also offer sexual education classes because we are all exposed.”
(debemos sentir y saber para que se de mas informacion mas informacion a nivel ciudad porque la ciudad tambien tiene que intervenir en esto porque por ejemplo ahorita en el verano si dan clases de natacion y yoga pero tambien deberian dar clases de educacion sexual para todos porque todos estamos expuestos)
List of places to get tested:
Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest Incorporated
1463 South 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243 Imperial County Health Department– 935 Broadway St El Centro, CA 92243 442-265-1386
651 Wake Ave Ste A El Centro, CA 92243
760-352-2257
Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo Incorporated 223 W Cole Rd Calexico, CA 92231
760-357-2020
900 Main St Brawley, CA 92227
760-344-6471
Sunset Community Health Center
2060 W 24th St Yuma, AZ 85364
928-344-4216
Monday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Yuma County Public Health Services District
2200 W 28th St Yuma, AZ 85364 928-317-4540 Fort Yuma Public Health Center 1 Indian Hill Rd Quechan Ft Yuma Reservation Winterhaven, CA 92283 760-572-4100
Monday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo 1233 Winterhaven Dr Winterhaven, CA 92283 760-538-3073
Monday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Sunset Community Health Center 115 N Somerton Ave Somerton, AZ 85350 928-627-2051
Monday: 7:30am – 8:00pm
Sunset Community Health Center 815 E Juan Sanchez Blvd San Luis, AZ 85349
928-627-3822
Monday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
NextCare Urgent Care
1394 W 16th St, Yuma, AZ 85364
