Valentine’s Day is a time for a memorable time of romance, love, and intimacy. Whereas it’s straightforward to concentrate on flowers, goodies and wine, well being departments nationwide are urging folks to keep away from making a sexually transmitted an infection one of many vacation’s lasting reminiscences.
Amid a nationwide improve in sexually transmitted infections, many state and native well being departments are advising folks to observe protected intercourse. That features speaking with their associate in addition to their healthcare supplier about sexual well being, getting examined frequently for all STIs, together with HIV, and utilizing a condom.
“Condoms are key for stopping STIs,” says Felicia Bendolph-Simmons, nurse supervisor for the Arlington, Virginia, Well being Division. “Now we have to do not forget that contraception solely prevents being pregnant — not STIs.”
On the similar time, HIV Pre-exposure prophylaxis — a breakthrough drug that blocks transmission of the virus that causes AIDS — “solely prevents HIV,” she says. “To stop the unfold of all STIs, we encourage folks to make use of condoms.”
Elevated Charges of An infection
STIs are unfold via sexual contact, together with vaginal, anal, and oral intercourse. The infections embody chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, HIV, human papillomavirus, and syphilis.
Information reveals the nation is experiencing elevated charges of STI infections.
In 2022, greater than 2.5 million instances of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have been reported within the U.S., in keeping with information from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. That yr, the CDC reported, the info confirmed an 80% improve in syphilis instances alone over a five-year interval.
That general quantity dropped a bit in 2023 with roughly 2.4 million STI instances reported. Nevertheless, in keeping with the CDC, in 2023, Black folks had simply over 32% of all instances of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, regardless of being solely about 13% of the inhabitants.
The Hazard of Asymptomatic STIs
Many STIs don’t have instantly noticeable signs or are asymptomatic, so an individual might be contaminated with out realizing it. The long-term results of STIs or full-blown sexually transmitted illnesses can embody infertility, power ache and an elevated susceptibility of contracting different infections.
In Alexandria, charges of STIs rose steadily within the early 2010s. The town’s Well being Division experiences that it may well’t pinpoint the rationale STI charges elevated, nevertheless it does know that safe-sex habits can shield folks from an infection.
Well being departments nationwide are following swimsuit, urging residents to guard themselves and their family members on Valentine’s Day. Some are providing condoms and different paraphernalia to assist encourage safer intercourse practices.
Dr. Michelle Morse, New York Metropolis’s appearing well being commissioner mentioned in an announcement that, left undiagnosed or untreated, STIs “may cause critical well being issues” for residents. To assist, the town’s well being division is providing free safer intercourse merchandise at places citywide.
“Get pleasure from your Valentine’s Day free from fear about threat of STIs, with slightly assist from the Well being Division,” she mentioned.
Steps to Preserve Sexual Well being
Different beneficial steps to take care of sexual well being begin with getting vaccinated to assist forestall Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), meningitis, and monkeypox, or mpox, infections.
In-home take a look at kits are offered in pharmacies nationwide and are supplied at places throughout the nation.
Asking a healthcare supplier for details about PrEP and doxy-PEP can assist scale back the chance of getting HIV via intercourse or sharing needles.
HIV PrEP therapy generally is a day by day tablet, a tablet taken across the time of intercourse, or an injectable medicine taken as soon as each two months.
Doxy-PEP is an antibiotic that may be taken after potential publicity to an STI. It’s been proven to chop the probabilities of contracting syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia dramatically.
