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SALT LAKE CITY -- The report finds that chlamydia cases rose by 50 percent while gonorrhea cases nearly doubled during the last five years.
The Utah Department of Health says chlamydia cases shot up by 50 percent, and gonorrhea cases nearly doubled from 2003 to 2007.
Planned Parenthood Association of Utah Executive Director Karrie Galloway says education is lacking. She said, "We can't deny these results. And these weren't just kids who were absent on the day abstinence was taught."
The report, "Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Epidemiological Profile Utah 2003-2007," also found that:
- Chlamydia was the number one most frequently reported communicable disease in Utah. Gonorrhea was number four.
- 23,166 cases of chlamydia and 3,451 cases of gonorrhea were reported in Utah between 2003 and 2007.
- 85 percent of reported chlamydia and 93 percent of reported gonorrhea cases occurred in those who lived along the Wasatch Front.
- These two sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were most commonly diagnosed in 15 to 29 year olds.
The UDOH is aiming to reduce the problem with a new campaign called "Catch the Answers," that will educate young adults, parents and health care providers about the two common STDs. The campaign asks common questions about chlamydia and gonorrhea and then drives the public to the Web site www.CatchtheAnswers.com for more information.
"Can I catch gonorrhea in a hot tub?," asks one of the campaign's new ads. "Can I kiss someone with chlamydia?," reads another. The ads are reaching out to Utah through radio advertisements, billboards and ads on buses and TRAX.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea often go undetected because many people do not experience symptoms. These "silent" infections can result in pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and even infertility. Any sexually active person can be infected. Both chlamydia and gonorrhea can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth.
Transmission can be prevented through sexual abstinence. Correct and consistent use of latex condoms can also greatly reduce, though not eliminate, the risk of STD transmission. In 2007, there were 5,721 reported cases of chlamydia in Utah, and 821 reported cases of gonorrhea.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
