Seminole County health officials discuss factors that contribute to STD rise

Although data on the number of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is only available for the first three months of 2011, health officials in Seminole County, Florida, have detected a distinct uptick in cases of chlamydia and syphilis, according to a recent article published in the Seminole Chronicle.

Compared to statistics from the previous year, the newspaper reported that there was an 18 percent increase in the number of chlamydia diagnoses between January in April of this year, compared to 2010, in addition to a 33 percent hike in syphilis cases.

"I think the economy, from the standpoint both nationally and locally, plays a concern. What I mean by that is I think people who are distressed with financial situations find themselves trying to divert the reality of what's happening, and they just hook up and they don't think," Sandra Zow-Johnson, specialty clinic manager for STD and HIV programs in the county, told the news source.

She also noted that social networking sites that help connect singles make it easier for individuals to have one-night stands with partners who have unknown STD statuses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 19 million Americans contract an STD annually.