Its latest report shows the highest increase in the three most commonly reported cases the CDC has ever seen. Jackson County Public Health Officials said the rise of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis aren’t just a national epidemic, but an increasing problem here as well.
In 2018, chlamydia cases increased by six percent from 2017 with almost 1,000 cases reported, that’s just under 500 more cases than the county saw in 2009. Gonorrhea cases in Jackson County increased by 16 percent last year with 253 cases reported, that’s compared to a five percent increase nationally. However, the biggest increase locally is in syphilis cases. It increased by almost 74 percent here, whereas the national average increased by 13 percent.
“It was almost entirely in men, men who had sex with men,” said Dr. Jim Shames with Jackson County Public Health, “and just in the last couple years we’ve seen the shift to women with syphilis, so much so that last year we had more cases in women than in men.”
Dr. Shames said they’ve also seen an increase in newborns born with signs of syphilis, which hadn’t been seen for decades until recently.
STDs can sometimes show no symptoms or signs, that’s why doctors are urging everyone to get tested regularly, be honest with your doctor and safe.
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