Like everything else these days, it's time to Valentine's Day safely
Like everything else these days, it's time to Valentine's Day safely
By Mary Wade Burnside
Sure, COVID-19 is going to put a crimp in some people’s Valentine’s Day celebrations. This is a good year for making a nice, romantic dinner at home or getting some take-out with that partner who’s already in your bubble.
But we’ve been dealing with this virus for nearly a year now. So we can take some time now to discuss some other viruses… and infections.
That’s right, sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. Valentine’s Day — maybe some of you remember the good old days when kids jokingly called it VD Day, short for venereal disease — is a great time to have “the talk.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which estimates that 1 in 5 people in the United States have an STD, just published updated rates from 2018. So while it’s difficult to know if STDs are rising, remaining steady or declining during the pandemic, the CDC points out that COVID-19 has meant that fewer individuals are seeking testing and treatment.
Here’s what the CDC found:
• There were nearly 68 million cases of an STD on any given day in 2018.
• There were 26 million newly acquired STDs in 2018.
o Nearly one in two incident STDs were acquired by people aged 15 to 24 years old.
Through cards, candy and flowers, Valentine’s Day is a holiday to show your significant other how much you care. But there are other important ways to illustrate how much you respect not only your partner but also yourself.
Some tips on how to do this: Use a condom. Limit your number of sexual partners. Remember that alcohol or drugs lower your ability to make good decisions. And utilize Monongalia County Health Department’s free testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
Here is additional information from the CDC:
• Untreated chlamydia can cause serious damage to a woman’s reproductive system, making it difficult or impossible to have children. Chlamydia can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy and be passed on to a baby during childbirth.
• In 2018, 1.8 million cases of chlamydia were reported to CDC from 50 states and the District of Columbia, up 19 % since 2014.
• Untreated gonorrhea can cause health problems in both men and women. Having it also increases the chances of getting HIV, the virus that can lead to AIDS. In 2018, there were 583,405 reported gonorrhea cases, up 63% since 2014.
• Nearly 80 million Americans — about 1 in 4 — have human papilloma virus (HPV). In some instances, HPV can lead to a variety of cancers, including of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis or anus. It can be prevented with a vaccine administered to both girls and boys at around age 11 or 12.
• Morgantown experienced a syphilis outbreak that began in spring 2019. Nationally, primary and secondary syphilis had risen 71% since 2014; congenital syphilis, contracted before birth, has risen 185% since 2014.
• When the AIDS crisis emerged in the 1980s, the disease was pretty much an automatic death sentence. Now that HIV is treatable, many younger people do not remember those times, causing some to let their guard down when it comes to taking measures to prevent HIV.
• In 2016, according to the CDC, West Virginia had nearly three times the rate of Hepatitis B — at 14.6 — than the state with the next-highest rate, Kentucky, at 5 percent. Hepatitis B can be transmitted in several ways, including by having sex with an infected individual.
Sure, these topics aren’t the romantic ones you necessarily want to turn to as Valentine’s Day approaches. But there are real ways to protect yourselves from STDs. Prevention is the first goal. Then there is testing. The CDC’s recommendations for when and how often to test for STDs can be found at cdc.gov/std/prevention/screeningreccs.htm.
In the meantime, know that if you would like to begin making STD screening a regular habit, or if you want to clear your mind of any worries you might have, the free STD testing and treatment at MCHD Clinical Services means no insurance is billed. Your privacy is protected, and our nurses like to note that they are judgment-free, no matter what your situation might be.
MCHD Clinical Services has been seeing patients safely since the beginning of the pandemic. Call 304-598-5119 for an appointment.
But we’ve been dealing with this virus for nearly a year now. So we can take some time now to discuss some other viruses… and infections.
That’s right, sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. Valentine’s Day — maybe some of you remember the good old days when kids jokingly called it VD Day, short for venereal disease — is a great time to have “the talk.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which estimates that 1 in 5 people in the United States have an STD, just published updated rates from 2018. So while it’s difficult to know if STDs are rising, remaining steady or declining during the pandemic, the CDC points out that COVID-19 has meant that fewer individuals are seeking testing and treatment.
Here’s what the CDC found:
• There were nearly 68 million cases of an STD on any given day in 2018.
• There were 26 million newly acquired STDs in 2018.
o Nearly one in two incident STDs were acquired by people aged 15 to 24 years old.
Through cards, candy and flowers, Valentine’s Day is a holiday to show your significant other how much you care. But there are other important ways to illustrate how much you respect not only your partner but also yourself.
Some tips on how to do this: Use a condom. Limit your number of sexual partners. Remember that alcohol or drugs lower your ability to make good decisions. And utilize Monongalia County Health Department’s free testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
Here is additional information from the CDC:
• Untreated chlamydia can cause serious damage to a woman’s reproductive system, making it difficult or impossible to have children. Chlamydia can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy and be passed on to a baby during childbirth.
• In 2018, 1.8 million cases of chlamydia were reported to CDC from 50 states and the District of Columbia, up 19 % since 2014.
• Untreated gonorrhea can cause health problems in both men and women. Having it also increases the chances of getting HIV, the virus that can lead to AIDS. In 2018, there were 583,405 reported gonorrhea cases, up 63% since 2014.
• Nearly 80 million Americans — about 1 in 4 — have human papilloma virus (HPV). In some instances, HPV can lead to a variety of cancers, including of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis or anus. It can be prevented with a vaccine administered to both girls and boys at around age 11 or 12.
• Morgantown experienced a syphilis outbreak that began in spring 2019. Nationally, primary and secondary syphilis had risen 71% since 2014; congenital syphilis, contracted before birth, has risen 185% since 2014.
• When the AIDS crisis emerged in the 1980s, the disease was pretty much an automatic death sentence. Now that HIV is treatable, many younger people do not remember those times, causing some to let their guard down when it comes to taking measures to prevent HIV.
• In 2016, according to the CDC, West Virginia had nearly three times the rate of Hepatitis B — at 14.6 — than the state with the next-highest rate, Kentucky, at 5 percent. Hepatitis B can be transmitted in several ways, including by having sex with an infected individual.
Sure, these topics aren’t the romantic ones you necessarily want to turn to as Valentine’s Day approaches. But there are real ways to protect yourselves from STDs. Prevention is the first goal. Then there is testing. The CDC’s recommendations for when and how often to test for STDs can be found at cdc.gov/std/prevention/screeningreccs.htm.
In the meantime, know that if you would like to begin making STD screening a regular habit, or if you want to clear your mind of any worries you might have, the free STD testing and treatment at MCHD Clinical Services means no insurance is billed. Your privacy is protected, and our nurses like to note that they are judgment-free, no matter what your situation might be.
MCHD Clinical Services has been seeing patients safely since the beginning of the pandemic. Call 304-598-5119 for an appointment.
