Alaska struggles with high rate of gonorrhea, report finds

Gonorrhea in Alaska rose 69 percent in 2009, putting the state at ninth place in the nation for the rate of transmission of the disease, according to Anchorage Daily News.

The paper, whose data comes from a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), finds that 1,006 cases of gonorrhea were reported last year in Alaska. Alaska’s rate of transmission is 144 cases per 100,000 individuals, it continues, compared to the national average of 99 per 100,000.

The rate is worst for Native Alaskans, whose female population sees 656 infections per 100,000 individuals, the news provider reports.

However, the media agency concludes that the state’s women are more likely than men to be screened for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) because of the yearly exams necessary to get prescription birth control. Prevention through screening may be critical.

Gonorrhea, whose symptoms include painful urination and whitish-yellow discharge, can cause pelvic inflammatory disorder and increase the risk of contracting HIV. Those concerned that they have contracted gonorrhea or another STD may consider looking into online testing services.

According to the CDC, gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported STD in the U.S., with over 300,000 cases diagnosed in 2009.