State reports high number of STDs

By Staff
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released its 2006 Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance report showing Alabama among the highest states in the nation for rates of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.
The state ranks second highest in the rate of syphilis, fourth in gonorrhea and fifth in chlamydia.
“The data serve as a reminder that sexually transmitted diseases pose a serious and ongoing health threat to millions of Americans. Nearly 19 million new cases occur in the United States each year, affecting Americans of all ages and in all walks of life,” Dr. Charles Woernle, assistant state health officer for disease control and prevention, said. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis are the most frequently reported STDs within Alabama. The state’s positivity rate by age is consistent with national disease trends. The age group most affected by chlamydia and gonorrhea is 15 to 19-year-olds, followed by 20 to 24-year-olds. The rate appears to decline after 25 years of age, a pattern that has remained consistent throughout the past five years.