What are the most common STDs?
Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are becoming more common in the US Although often curable, these STDs require treatment to avoid serious complications.
Amid the coronavirus, Alaska health officials are grappling with another outbreak: syphilis.
According to local media reports, the state Department of Health and Social Services said sexually transmitted diseases are at their highest point across the country and in Alaska. The Alaska State Epidemiology Bulletin on syphilis, released Thursday, stated that the number of sexually transmitted disease cases doubled in 2019, and health officials are concerned that the numbers will reach a similar level in 2020. .
PROTECTING AGAINST CORONAVIRUSES: IS IT A BETTER FACE SHIELD OR MASK?
According to the bulletin, the majority of the increased cases were in heterosexual men and women. The increase in cases of women increases the risk that women transmit the infection to their babies, authorities said, adding in the report that this “underscores the importance of detecting STDs at the initial prenatal visit, during the third quarter and at the time of delivery for those at risk. “
“This is a reminder that as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic, there are other outbreaks that need our attention,” Dr. Joe McLaughlin, Alaska State Epidemiologist, said in a statement to local television outlet KTUU-2.
A syphilis outbreak in Alaska was first declared in 2018. At the time, 114 cases were reported to state epidemiologists. But by 2019, the number of syphilis cases increased to 242, representing a 112 percent increase.
Many factors contributed to the escalation in the cases. Among them were methamphetamine and heroin use, homelessness and a history of incarceration within the 12 months prior to the survey, according to the state’s Epidemiology Bulletin.
HIGHER DIETS ON PROTEIN, PLANT PROTEIN IN PARTICULAR, LINKED TO LOWER EARLY DEATH RATES: STUDY
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that states with sexually transmitted disease clinics open under capacity constraints in an effort to prioritize patients with STD symptoms and groups considered high. risk, reported the local media.
To reduce the spread of the disease, the department advised Alaska residents to take precautions, get regular tests, and seek treatment and inform their partner if they are positive, according to KTUU-2.
