Private MD News

Experts says STD rates are rising in some parts of the country

Category: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

STD testing is needed now more than ever, as experts say they are seeing rates of diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhea hit all-time highs.

Such is the case in Sacramento County, where public health officials recently told the Sacramento Bee that the number of teens and young adults with these conditions has never been higher. Currently, more than four out of every 100 women between the ages of 15 and 24 in the county have chlamydia or gonorrhea.

Much of the situation can be blamed on higher rates of hormonal birth control among females, the officials said. When there is less chance of a pregnancy, young people tend to stop using condoms, but birth control does not protect against the spread of common STDs.

"We need to get boys to use condoms more consistently," University of California, San Francisco STD expert Anna-Barbara Moscicki told the news source.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that one of the most effective ways to curb the spread of infections, besides the use of condoms, is regular STD testing of all sexually active individuals. This particularly true of those in high-risk populations, like young people.