infectious increase More than a throwback to your grade school sex ed class.

› By Cealia Athanason

Sexually transmitted diseases/infections are on the rise, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released in October 2016.

“Despite recent declines, 2015 was the second year in a row in which increases were seen in all three nationally reported STDs,” the study states.

The three STDs* reported were chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, and the 1.5 million cases of chlamydia turns out to be the highest number of annual cases of a condition ever reported to the CDC.

Dr. Thomas Poirier, an internal medicine and infectious disease physician that oversees the teams that handle communicable (or reportable) infectious diseases for the Department of Health in Citrus, Marion and Hernando Counties, weighs in on the matter. On average, he sees between 16 and 20 patients each day, and, of those, he conducts between eight and 12 STD evaluations. Approximately one-third of the STD evaluations are positive.

Combining the three health departments he works with and comparing the numbers from the past year with the numbers from the previous year, Dr. Poirier has seen a 6 percent increase in chlamydia cases, 35 percent increase in gonorrhea cases, 135 percent increase in syphilis cases, 32 percent increase in HIV cases and 8 percent increase in AIDS cases.

HIS TAKE ON THE INCREASE?

“Social media. Clients can readily find a ‘hook up’ using the various forms of social media, and there are apps specifically designed for sexual encounters,” he says.

The most common symptom of an STD is discharge from a genital organ and/or discomfort when urinating. Dr. Poirier also points out that up to 90 percent of STDs don’t have symptoms. The good news is that bacterial STDs—chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis—can generally be cured, and viral ones—HIV, HPV and herpes—can be managed well. Dr. Poirier says that with an early enough diagnosis, HPV might even be cured.

Those between the ages of 20 and 24 are at the highest risk for chlamydia and gonorrhea, although the age groups 15 to 19 and 25 to 29 are not far behind. Those between the ages of 20 and 29 are at the highest risk for syphilis. Although abstinence is the only sure way to prevent contracting and spreading STDs, Dr. Poirier emphasizes the consistent and correct use of condoms.

“Condoms are always available for free at the county health departments,” Dr. Poirier says. “Unfortunately, proper use of a condom is not taught in the vast majority of schools.”

*STD and STI are used interchangeably.

Learn more › floridahealth.gov