Chicago health officials call for syphilis prevention

 

According to a recent report released by The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), syphilis rates went up 23 percent in the area since 2009. This means that there were 686 reported cases of the disease in the city compared to 561 in 2009. In response to this, the CDPH is encouraging people to get screen for this and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) more regularly. Their campaign, called "Get Tested Chicago" is part of Healthy Chicago, which is a city-wide effort aimed at making The Windy City the healthiest major city in the U.S.

"We are concerned with these numbers and we are taking immediate actions to address the increase with a concentrated effort on the most affected populations. We know from past experience that focused programmatic and public awareness efforts like Get Tested Chicago, have been effective in reducing sexually transmitted infections," said Bechara Choucair, M.D., commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health.

The majority of cases of syphilis were discovered in men, particularly those who have sex with other men. Furthermore, 59 percent of all cases were attributed to African Americans, and the largest age bracket experiencing infections were 20 to 29-year-olds. Women also experienced an increase in infection rates, with 84 cases being reported in 2010, compared to 31 in 2009.

The main goal of the campaign is to remind people that syphilis is entirely curable and preventable condition. If left untreated, however, The Mayo Clinic states that this disease can cause complications to the central nervous system. This includes stroke, dementia, deafness and, in some cases, death. 

Individuals with syphilis are up to five times more likely to contract HIV. This is due to the fact that the sores caused by the infection can break open, allowing HIV easy access to the blood stream.