Georgia health officials discuss local impacts of STDs

In light of April being Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Awareness Month, officials from the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments in Georgia recently discussed initiatives to help reduce the prevalence of these infections among members of their communities in an article published by the Newton Citizen.

The health experts told the newspaper that they encourage more young people to seek testing for STDs, since this demographic represents a significant portion of new sexual infection reports annually. According to the news provider, a total of 1,010 cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were diagnosed among all age groups within Newton and Rockdale counties last year. Adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 accounted for 426 of these reports, the news organization noted.

"The lack of correct information, misconceptions about transmission and social stigma associated with STDs keep many young people from getting tested. Our top priority is to connect with young people wherever they are and provide them with the facts," Communicable Disease Supervisor Lisa Jackson told the news source.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 19 million Americans contract an STD annually, and treatment for these individuals costs the healthcare system more than $16.4 billion each year.