Sexually Transmitted Infection Month: Treatment and Prevention
April is Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Awareness Month! Dr. Antonella Fine, Physician Director of Hospital Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship, and Infectious Disease Specialist at Sturdy Health, is shedding light on the alarming rise of STI cases in the US. It's time to take control of your sexual health and learn how to prevent and treat STIs.
"According to our most recent CDC data from 2018, approximately 20% of the U.S. population - one in five people in the U.S. - has a sexually transmitted infection, totaling nearly 68 million Americans.
While anyone who has oral, vaginal, or anal sex can be infected with a sexually transmitted infection, about half of new sexually transmitted infections are diagnosed in young adults aged 15-24, and people most affected are gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, pregnant women, and their infants and people from some racial and ethnic minority groups.
Chlamydia infections have increased by 6.2%, gonorrhea infections have increased by 11%, and syphilis infections have increased by 80% overall and by 183% in newborns since 2018. These infections increase the chance of getting HIV and transmitting HIV to others, long-term pelvic and abdominal pain, other systemic illnesses, pregnancy complications, and fertility issues.
The good news is that sexually transmitted infections are preventable and treatable. If you are sexually active, your best protections against sexually transmitted infections are consistent, correct condom use, reducing your number of sex partners, screening by your healthcare provider, and prompt treatment. Certain persons with an increased risk of HIV can also take medication known as Pre-exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, to prevent HIV infection. If you have not been screened for sexually transmitted infections or think you may benefit from PrEP, ask your primary healthcare provider about it today. We also have a highly effective and safe vaccine against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection and leading cause of cervical, anogenital, and oropharyngeal cancer and genital warts, recommended for children ages 11-12 before the onset of sexual activity, but available for everyone from age 9-45.
Educate and protect yourself so that you can enjoy a healthy sex life!"
