Reported Cases of STDs Are on Rise

The STD is happening when there are widespread cuts in budget allocation for State and local STD programs. There is a possibility that 2017 will see a $5 million cut.

The executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, David C. Harvey, said that this was a wrong time for the budget cuts bearing in mind the rising cases of STD surge. He called upon the Senate to reverse its 2017 cut and instead provide an additional $8.1 million to support the STD programs. Harvey further added that the new administration should seek to get more funding in its 2018 budget for the sake of conducting better STD tests and programs

.On a yearly basis, the United States health care system spends $16 billion as it combats the 20 million cases of STDs each year. In the past three years, the chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis rates have been significantly increasing, until it is now at 20-year high. The problem is usually that these STDs have long-term health effects that in most cases are irreversible, especially if not diagnosed and treated on time. Some of the most vulnerable groups are the young aged 15 to 24, gays and bisexual men. Apart from just being vulnerable, the young also have unique hindrances to treatment like confidentiality concerns, stigma and also lack of access to STD advice providers.

What are the effects of STDs?

The sexually transmitted infections have the following impacts on the patients: chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. Some STDs like syphilis can be passed from the pregnant woman to the child and this may cause serious disabilities and in worst cases, death.

A person’s risk of acquiring HIV is significantly increased with an STD. This is particularly true for men who have sex with men. We can thus see that it undoes the gains made in preventing HIV.

Chlamydia

This is a sexually transmitted disease that the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis causes. Some of the symptoms associated with it in women include: burning during urination, abnormal vaginal discharge and abnormal vaginal discharge. In most of the cases reported, the women did not experience any symptoms.

Men can know it by looking at the following symptoms: abnormal discharge from their penis and pain when urinating. T affects the urinary tract of both men and women if left untreated and thus may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Gonorrhea

This is a sexually transmitted disease that a bacterium which lives on the moist mucous membranes in the vagina, urethra, throat, rectum and eyes causes. Some of the modes of spreading include contact with the penis, anus, vagina or mouth. The symptoms tend to manifest in 2 to 5 days of infection.

In men, the symptoms are discharge from the penis (white, green, or yellow in color), increased urinary frequency, and pain while urinating, swollen or tender testicles, sore throat or swollen urethra.

In women, the symptoms may include burning or itching while urinating, vaginal discharge or painful sexual intercourse. However, most women may not depict any symptoms.

Syphilis

A bacterium causes this STD. It is one of the most dangerous as it may lead to complications and eventually death. Ulceration of the uro-genital tract, mouth or rectum is some of the clinical manifestation of syphilis.

Contributor: admin