The recent report by the Centers for Disease Control says cases of three sexually transmitted diseases are at an all-time high in the United States. Similar That trend is being repeated right here in the West’s County back in May 2018.
The total number of syphilis cases in Nueces County in 2009 was 30 but for the first half of the year(2018) the total number of cases was 146. Now, the Health Department expects that number to climb to 300.
By the end of the year and that number is what has many local doctors and Clinics concerned. In the past year, the staff at the women’s and men’s health services at the Coastal Bend have been making about double the number of phone calls to patients who test positive for STDs. One of the staff member comments, “A lot of times they’re shocked but I try to put them at ease, try to give them the information that they need in the past year”. Two new clinicians had to be hired to keep up with about a 40 percent increase in the number of patients and syphilis is the STD that has County health officials concerned in 2017.
There were 221 total cases of syphilis in 2018. Totals are expected to climb past that what we saw in 2017. It was saying this isn’t a fluke this is really happening and it’s something that we need to take seriously at the start of the year.
The Health Department implemented a strategic plan to get ahead of the disease. They are partnering with the Coastal Bend wellness foundation to provide treatment and outreach events. The department also implemented Express testing which allows them to test more patients. More state funding has been given for outreach and preventative treatment. Syphilis has to be treated, if left untreated in for a very long term it can read lead to problems related to the brain, heart etc. So we need to go in and get routine screening. STDs could be on the rise for several reasons. A bigger use of dating apps and more people who simply don’t test because they don’t think they’re at risk. Casual sexual encounter, then sexual relationship without a condom is also one of the bigger reason, that the STD spreads