STDs rise in Stanislaus County; higher numbers reported statewide

State health officials are concerned about a two-year increase in sexually transmitted disease cases that is possibly tied to changes in behavior.

According to a California Department of Public Health report, cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis increased for the second straight year in 2015, with the number of reported STDs rising faster in California than in the rest of the country. The state data released this week did not include infections with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV.

In 2015, there were almost 250,000 people in California infected with one of the three most common STDs, a 12 percent increase over the previous year.

In Stanislaus County, cases rose by 4 percent last year. A county staff member said she suspects the local numbers would be higher if more sexually active young men and women were being tested.

Dr. Karen Smith, state public health officer, promised $5 million for local jurisdictions for prevention measures and expanded testing and treatment.

The state report showed the highest disease rates in young people age 15 to 24, and stressed that young women are vulnerable to infertility and other long-term reproductive health problems caused by STDs.

Officials said a decline in condom use and more sexual partners may be factors contributing to the increase. In addition, some people have limited access to testing or treatment for a sexually transmitted illness, and improvements to public health reporting may account for higher numbers.

The report also warned that gay and bisexual men were at risk of contracting a disease through unprotected sex. “Men who have sex with men account for more than 62 percent of the state’s gonorrhea cases in males and 84 percent of primary and secondary syphilis cases in males,” a state Department of Public Health press release said.

Smith said the chances of contracting an STD are reduced by regular condom use, having fewer sexual partners and being in a monogamous relationship.

Regular testing among sexually active individuals is a way to “stem the rising tide of STDs in California,” Smith added.

Last year, Stanislaus County public health recorded 2,382 cases of chlamydia, a 5 percent increase, along with 757 people with gonorrhea and 68 cases of syphilis.

Jessica Montoya-Juarez, communicable disease manager for the county, said that almost a dozen cases of congenital syphilis last year prompted some action by county public health. Expectant mothers with untreated syphilis can infect their unborn infants through the placenta, resulting in stillbirth or infant death up to 40 percent of the time. Infected babies that survive may suffer from deformities, blindness, deafness, meningitis or other health issues.

The county urged health care providers to talk with pregnant women about the importance of testing to make sure they don’t have syphilis.

Pregnant women should be tested at the first prenatal visit with a doctor, followed by a second test early in the third trimester and a third at delivery, Montoya-Juarez said.

With some additional funding expected from the state, the county is looking at expanding education for health care providers, more public outreach and mobile testing sites. “Some schools and community centers have asked us to come out with mobile testing,” Montoya-Juarez said.

The county has an STD public health clinic at 820 Scenic Drive; it accepts walk-ins or appointments can be made by calling 209-558-7700. The clinic is open Mondays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 1 to 6:30 p.m.

“If they have a need, we connect them with services to get tested and treated,” Montoya-Juarez said.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 3:44 PM with the headline "STDs rise in Stanislaus County; higher numbers reported statewide."