Chlamydia and gonorrhea are increasing among young women, study results

The incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea is increasing in the United States among women between the ages of 18 and 30. A recent study by Quest Diagnostics suggests.

This study was recently published American Journal of Preventive MedicineWe analyzed more than 17 million test samples taken from women aged 12 to 30 years between 2010 and 2017. Women Between the ages of 25 and 30, there was a 50% increase in positive test results. During the study period, positive test results for women aged 18-24 years increased by 21%.

Harvey Kaufman, head of Quest’s Health Trends Program, recommends that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) annually screen for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in sexually active women under the age of 25. Said that. The CDC recommends screening for women over the age of 25 only for women with specific risk factors, such as reporting that a sex partner may have a sex partner at the same time. Kaufmann, co-author of the study, said the findings suggest that sexual contraception has changed since 2002, when the CDC guidelines were first published.

Kaufmann noted that the CDC guidelines were heavily influenced by the 1998 study published in 1998. New England Journal of Medicine It found that the overall rate of Chlamydia among female Army recruits was 9.2%. As a result, the authors of the study recommended a new recruit selection program for women under the age of 25.

“Army recruits tend to be younger, more useful samples,” Kaufman said. “We think that’s the basis of this CDC guideline. It’s not based on what we think is best for women’s health care. That’s why this report gives insights into public health. I hope that those who provide and recreate the guidelines will consider this study. “

Sarawood, a pediatrician in adolescent medicine at the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital, said annual STD screening could help identify early infections.

“We know that screening can be treated and give better results in the long run,” she said.

Whether the test is negative or positive, Wood said it can lead to safe sexual activity, opportunities for patients to be screened for HIV, and important conversations that raise awareness about general reproductive health.

“When we think of STI, we never think of just one individual,” she said. “We are thinking about their partner and that partner’s partner. When we find an early infection, we may identify a young man who needs to be hospitalized and treated.”

Unfortunately, the shutdown of COVID-19 interrupts testing at local sexual health centers, making it especially difficult for healthcare providers to catch this year’s early infections. The availability of test kits is also declining. This month, the CDC published a letter outlining how to prioritize individuals in need of STI testing.

“It will be a real challenge to expand our screening program,” Wood said. “It’s even difficult to maintain the level of screening we’re doing right now.”

Sharan Abdul-Rahman, a gynecologist practicing in Center City, said clinicians are currently screening for the risk of sexually transmitted diseases by asking patients about their sexual behavior. Risk factors range from having new partners or multiple partners to inconsistent use of condoms. If STDs are not treated, the consequences may include infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy.

“The obvious question is … are we doing the right job to detect chlamydia and gonorrhea based on the criteria we are currently using?” Abdul Rahman said. “If you’re asking the right questions, don’t miss too many women. If you’re not asking questions, you need to move to something more universal.”

Wood said in CHOP that the increase in female chlamydia and gonorrhea did not surprise her. She pointed out that CDC data show an annual increase in chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis over the last five years.

“We know that these infections occur primarily in teenagers,” Wood said. “But given the provision of medical services to this group of women in their late teens or early twenties, we are moving from pediatrics to adult health care and realize that it is a truly vulnerable population. Must. Remember that population with unique healthcare needs. ”

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