STD cases have increased 44% in Union County in recent years

UNION COUNTY – Over the last couple years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of STD cases in Union County. A member of the Elkhorn Media Group staff spoke with a member of the Center for Human Development (CHD) recently to discuss this situation and what people can do to protect themselves.

(Q) Thank you for joining me, can you start with a quick introduction of who you are and what your position with CHD is.

(A) My name is Gretchen Kellermann, and I am the Communicable Disease Coordinator for our Public Health Department at the Center for Human Development. 

(Q) For a while the term STD was changed to STI, or that was the attempt. 

Are STD’s now referred to as STI’s? And if so, what was the purpose of that change?

(A) You may have heard both “STI” and “STD” used in conversation, but “what’s the difference between “STI” and “STD”? These terms are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing, but there are distinctions between the two.

For one, the term “STD,” short for sexually transmitted disease, has been used as the catch-all phrase we’d give to the infections and diseases that could be transmitted through sexual contact and seems to be a more known term. But what about infections that don’t actually turn into disease? That’s where the term “STI,” short for sexually transmitted infection, comes in.

Both terms are acceptable and are used however currently the majority of information through CDC uses the term STD. 

(Q) Now over the last year or so, there has been an increase in the number of reported STDs in our area. Can you talk a little bit about that? What are you seeing? What is the increase? What should people be aware of? 

(A) While comparing statistics for 2020 and 2021.  STD rates in Union County showed an increase of 44%. Specifically, we are seeing increases in Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. 

As long as you’re sexually active, you should be tested for STDs at least once a year. If you have more than one partner, or don’t always practice safe sex, you should be tested every three to six months. It’s really important to put your health first and make sure you use protection. The Center for Human Development Public Health team is happy to provide testing, education, and resources to anyone in our community. Call 541-962-8866 for your confidential screening today. 

Anyone who is sexually active and not practicing safe sex is at risk for contracting an STD so we want everyone to be aware of the increase and reach out to us for screening and resources for protecting themselves and their partners. 

(Q) Anything else you wanted to mention?

(A) It really just goes back to being mindful, being aware of the increase in cases in our county and knowing the importance of testing. The best time to talk about getting tested is BEFORE you start having sex.  Getting tested with a new partner is really important and one of the best ways to prevent STD’s. Make sure that you’re taking preventative measures. And if you don’t know what the preventative measures are, reach out to us at CHD and have that conversation.  We’re here to support you! 

Talk openly to your partner AND healthcare provider about #sexualhealth & #STDs: https://go.usa.gov/xsysu #TalkTestTreat

For more information visit www.chdinc.org/std-prevention

For those interested, fact sheets on Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and Syphilis can be found below

https://www.cdc.gov/std/gonorrhea/stdfact-gonorrhea.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/stdfact-chlamydia.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm

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Elkhorn Media Group