Health officials say the fight against the rise in sexually transmitted diseases has collapsed as a result of promoting COVID-19 testing nationwide.

After unprecedented promotion of COVID-19 testing and follow-up, public health workers are tackling the annoying side effect of disrupting sexually transmitted disease screening, which has been increasing for many years.

Testing for diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea plummeted in many parts of the United States last year as COVID-19 robbed resources and staff. Health officials say the gap in this test made it impossible to track or control the outbreak of illness that was already at record levels prior to the pandemic.

“It’s clear that there was a huge disruption in testing, surveillance and clinical care, which could exacerbate sexually transmitted diseases more than ever,” said STD Director on behalf of state and local healthcare professionals. David Harvey, Executive Director of the Society, said.

Many sexually transmitted disease clinics closed doors and saved time during the blockade last spring. Staff who previously helped track down the infection have been relocated to focus on COVID-19. And laboratories processing most STD tests were forced to distribute supplies to focus on the flood of incoming COVID-19 samples.

Even in January of this year, COVID-19 operated 40% of the STD program with staff reductions, according to Harvey Group survey data. It often leads to reduced services to find and fight infections that can spread, with few or no immediate symptoms.

In Vermont, Daniel Daltrey is one of two full-time state officials to trace. HIV, Hepatitis and other high-risk infections. Over the past year, he has shifted most of his time to COVID-19 and trained 160 new hires hired to assist with coronavirus contact tracing.

Daltrey and his colleagues have been contact tracing syphilis and HIV throughout the outbreak.

“But I couldn’t do anything else,” Daltrey said, saying he wasn’t tracking down illnesses like gonorrhea.

As in other regions, Vermont recorded a sharp drop in the number of confirmed sexually transmitted infections, a 50% reduction in reported chlamydia and a 90% reduction in HIV compared to 2019. I did.

The drop-off reflects national trends reported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last fall.

Analyzing data from the National Institute, the CDC said in September that tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were down 30% to 50% year-on-year and recovered somewhat in early summer.

Doctors usually discuss and screen for sexually transmitted infections as part of the routine care of sexually active adults and teens. Annual testing for common infections is recommended for high-risk groups, such as women under the age of 25 and gay and bisexual men. STD clinics often offer free or low-cost testing and counseling.

Due to the confusion in the CDC’s report, the CDC is lagging behind in editing the annual STD number, and 2019 figures will not be finalized until later this month.

Officials have warned that STDs have been steadily increasing for five years and that the number of cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia reached a record number in 2018. Public health budget.

“It’s especially important that we come back now and say,’If you’re sexually active, you need to test,’ to get our resources diverted to COVID,” said the University of Washington. Dr. Hillary Reno, CDC consultant and professor at the University of Washington, said. St. Louis Medical School.

Of the 130 STD screening sites in the St. Louis region, tests are still about two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels, according to figures compiled by Reno.

One possibility of decline is that months of social distance delayed sexual activity. But Reno and other experts are suspicious.

The largest dating sites and apps reported record use in 2020, suggesting that many may have been connected throughout the pandemic.

Dr. Ina Park at the University of California, San Francisco believes that people may have postponed for several months. “But I think people have reached their limits and opened Tinder, Grindr, or other apps, and they started meeting people, hooked up and had sex again.”

If left untreated, sexually transmitted infections can cause serious long-term health complications. Chlamydia can damage the male and female reproductive systems and cause pregnancy complications. Syphilis can also cause organ damage and neurological problems in both men and women, if not treated with pregnancy problems, newborn infections, and antibiotics.

The CDC continues to report a lower than normal supply of some test kits and laboratory chemicals used for STD screening, which overlaps with the supply of COVID-19. The CDC said providers may need to prioritize testing of the highest-risk groups, such as pregnant women with multiple sex partners and sexually active gay and bisexual men, if necessary. I am.

The interruption of the test has led to workarounds in many sexually transmitted disease clinics, including initial online consultations for people with symptoms and home sampling of illnesses such as chlamydia and gonorrhea.Recently approved by U.S. authorities First point of care test For two infections that can be used in the clinic and give results in about 30 minutes.

Public health professionals hope that some of these new approaches can enhance traditional services when trying to make up for lost time.

“This opens up another tool in the toolbox for people to access the services they need,” said Daltrey, who directs the STD monitoring program in Vermont.