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STD tests show statewide rise in chlamydia, gonorrhea

Category: Chlamydia

Those who live in California may want to get an STD test in the near future, as a local news source recently reported a statewide spike in the rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea.

According to The Sacramento Bee, the number of new chlamydia and gonorrhea cases rose from 2011 to 2012 most in three counties - Placer, El Dorado and Yolo. El Dorado county experienced a 50 percent rise in gonorrhea cases and a 20 percent increase in chlamydia during that time frame. From 2011 to 2012, Placer county saw an 8 percent increase in chlamydia and a 55 percent uptick in gonorrhea, and Yolo county saw increases of 15 and 90 percent for chlamydia and gonorrhea, respectively.

The news source noted that Sacramento country has higher rates of the two STDs than most, but actually saw a drop in the number of chlamydia cases in 2012. Across the state, chlamydia rates increased by 3 percent, while cases of gonorrhea rose by 23.

Health officials did not point to a single cause, but suggest that this is a sign that more people are engaging in unprotected sex than before.

Risk factors for gonorrhea and chlamydia
Anonymous STD testing is a safe and discrete method of determining one's sexual health status. Anyone who is sexually active and at risk for the two diseases should seek testing immediately. According to the Mayo Clinic, risk factors for gonorrhea include a younger age, new sex partners, multiple sex partners and a previous case of the STD.

Similarly, being under the age of 24, having multiple sex partners within the past year, lack of sexual protection - specifically condoms - and a prior history of STDs all put individuals at a high risk of contracting chlamydia.