WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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Studies from the Centers for Disease Control show that in Indiana, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis are of particular concern.
Preliminary data for 2017 suggests an eleven percent increase in Chlamydia rates, a 25 percent increase in Gonorrhea rates, and a one percent increase in total Syphilis cases. According to the CDC, nearly 20 million new cases of STDs occur in the United States every year, with approximately half of them being among young people.
The Indiana State Department of Health is encouraging Hoosiers to get tested and learn the means of prevention for sexually transmitted diseases. The Department of Health says that many STDs have no symptoms, requiring an individual to get tested before any diseases can be identified. State Health Commissioner Kris Box urges anyone who is sexually active to get tested annually.
“Most STDs can be treated, but the best protection is prevention,” Box wrote in a statement issued earlier today. The Indiana State Department of Health’s list of STD prevention methods includes abstinence and mutual monogamy, along with reducing the number of sexual partners, latex condoms, and vaccinations.
