Rates of Most STIs are Rising
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are passed from one person to another through sexual activity. STDs are typically treatable, but there may not be any symptoms or only mild symptoms resulting from an infection; thus, prevention and screening for infection are important public health interventions. According to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly half of STDs occur among young people ages 15-24 years old. These infections can lead to long-term health consequences, such as infertility and an increased likelihood of acquiring HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Beyond the impact on an individual’s health, STDs are also an economic drain on the U.S. healthcare system, costing billions annually. 1 This indicator tracks the prevalence of three common STDs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis (including congenital syphilis). 2
How is San Bernardino County Doing?
TREND
Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in San Bernardino County. The county’s rate of chlamydia rose 44% in the 10 years between 2009 and 2018, increasing to 618 reported cases per 100,000 residents in 2018. Gonorrhea incidence in San Bernardino County more than doubled in the same 10-year time period, rising 212% to 180 reported cases per 100,000 people. Syphilis occurs at a much lower rate but is also increasing among San Bernardino County residents. Primary and secondary stage syphilis (the most infectious stages of the disease) increased more than 1000% between 2009 and 2018, with a rate of 14.6 cases per 100,000 residents reported in 2018. The number of new cases of congenital syphilis in San Bernardino County grew sharply between 2015 and 2016, and 2016 and 2017, reaching a high of 31 cases, or 99.9 cases per 100,000 residents in both 2017 and 2018.
CASE RATE OF CHLAMYDIA DECREASED, LIKELY DUE TO COVID
Incidence of Chlamydia per 100,000 Residents in San Bernardino County, California, and the United States, 2011-2020
CASE RATE OF GONORRHEA TRENDING UP, WITH SIGNS OF LEVELING IN MOST RECENT DATA
Incidence of Gonorrhea per 100,000 Residents in San Bernardino County, California, and the United States, 2011-2020
CASE RATE OF SYPHILIS INCREASING IN RECENT YEARS
Incidence of Syphilis per 100,000 Residents in San Bernardino County, California, and the United States, 2011-2020
GEOGRAPHIC COMPARISON
San Bernardino County’s STI rates are higher than the state and nation for chlamydia and congenital syphilis and in between the state and nation for chlamydia and syphilis. Specifically, the San Bernardino County chlamydia rate of 616 per 100,000 is higher than both the California and United States chlamydia rates of 585 and 540 cases per 100,000 residents, respectively. In comparison, San Bernardino County’s rate of gonorrhea (180 per 100,000 people) was lower than California’s (200 per 100,000 people) and nearly the same as the U.S. rate (179 per 100,000 people). San Bernardino County’s primary and secondary syphilis rate of 14.6 per 100,000 falls in between the California rate of 19.2 per 100,000 and the U.S. rate of 10.8 per 100,000.
Common STDs and Complications, if Untreated
Chlamydia, a bacterial infection, is the most commonly reported STD in the United States. Untreated chlamydia infection in women can result in pelvic inflammatory disease, which is a major cause of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. Untreated chlamydia in men can cause urethral infection or swollen testicles.
Gonorrhea is the second most common STD in the U.S. and is also a bacterial infection. As with chlamydia, it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease. It can also be passed from a pregnant mother to her child and can lead to blindness and pneumonia in the child.
Syphilis is a genital ulcerative disease (and also a bacterial infection). If left untreated, syphilis can cause mental illness, blindness, and death. Congenital syphilis is when the infection is passed from a pregnant mother to the unborn baby, and can lead to a low birth weight, premature birth, or stillbirth. Infants infected with congenital syphilis may develop serious health problems such as cataracts, deafness, and seizures, and can die.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, individuals who are infected with STIs are two- to five times more likely than uninfected individuals to acquire HIV infection if they are exposed to the virus through sexual contact. Each of these STIs, if left untreated, can facilitate the transmission of HIV infection. Almost half of all new STI cases each year are in people between the ages of 15 and 24 years.