Alarmed by STD rise, Philly activist distributes prophylactics

The rate of STDs is on the rise in many parts of the country, and in places like Philadelphia, the situation appears to be particularly bad among young people.

Alexis Bridges - affectionately known by some as "the condom lady" - has been trying to stem the tide of chlamydia and syphilis among the city's young adult population by distributing prophylactics and educating them about sexual health. Some estimates suggest that the rate of the latter disease has doubled among some of the city's youth in the last three years, according to Philly.com.

Philadelphia Department of Public Health has also been alarmed by growing cases of gonorrhea, which were up 26 percent in the first half of this year, compared to 2009.

"We've certainly found and treated a lot of infected kids, and that's very important," said Melinda Salmon, program manager of the Health Department's STD Control Program, quoted by the news provider. "We've also educated a huge number of kids, and while that's hard to quantify, we can't discount the impact that's making."

Although these three diseases are curable - unlike HIV/AIDS - they can lead to health complications, such as infertility, if left untreated. Individuals can increase their chances of avoiding such consequences by getting screened on a regular basis and receiving medical attention.