Sexually transmitted diseases have reached record levels for the fourth consecutive year in Colorado, and Southwest Colorado is not immune to the trend.
Montezuma and La Plata counties ranked high among Colorado counties for their rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to new 2017 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment data, released in December.
Gonorrhea is less widespread than chlamydia with about 8,500 cases in 2017 in Colorado.
Montezuma County ranked third for gonorrhea with 230 cases per 100,000, and La Plata County ranked 18th, with about 80 cases per 100,000.
Montezuma County had 60 cases of gonorrhea, and La Plata County had 45.
Across Colorado there about 36,000 new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in 2017. Chlamydia accounted for about 27,000 of the new infections, according to the state.
Denver County ranked No. 1 for chlamydia cases with 981.5 cases per 100,000.
Montezuma County ranked 10th for its chlamydia rate with about 510 cases per 100,000.
In La Plata County, the rate of chlamydia was 485.4 cases per 100,000, making it 11th in the state.
Sexually transmitted diseases can cause infertility among men and women and abdominal pain. Syphilis is particularly serious because it can be passed from mother to infant, and it can be fatal for infants in some cases, said Dr. Dan Shodell, deputy director of disease control at the state health department.
Untreated sexual diseases can also increase the risk of getting HIV, said Ashley Gonzalez, clinic manager for San Juan Basin Public Health.
“It is of great concern that we are seeing this increase,” Shodell said.
There is no clear explanation for the rise in STDs locally or the similar national trend, Shodell said. The rise is not happening among a particular race or age group.
However, public health officials are concerned several factors are contributing, such as unsafe sexual practices, residents not getting screened for sexual diseases and residents not receiving adequate treatment, he said. The treatment for sexually transmitted diseases is fairly straightforward, but clinicians need to be up-to-date on the current medications, he said. The spread of disease may also show a need for increased funding for public health, which decreased about 25 percent from 2007 to 2017 in Colorado, he said.
As more STDs circulate, it can have an accelerating effect on the spread of the diseases, he said.
Public health officials are working to raise awareness about the disease, and one of the new efforts include purchasing banner ads on dating apps, Shodell said.
Residents can protect themselves from sexually transmitted disease by using condoms, getting tested and asking sexual partners to get tested before having sex, Gonzalez said.
Residents can receive free or low-cost tests through the Sexual Health Clinic at San Juan Basin Public Health. The clinic can also offer free medication to patients who test positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis.
For more information, call 335-2003.
[email protected] This story has been updated to correct the number of chlamydia and gonorrhea cases statewide. There were about 27,000 new cases of chlamydia and 8,500 new cases of gonorrhea.
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